The Adventures of Kíli and Fíli
by SwiftArcher
Summary: The life of Kíli and Fíli, covering key moments in their lives. From little dwarflings to grown men- what adventures and sticky situations will the brothers encounter? Emphasis on brotherly love, family, and loyalty. No slash.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! This is my first Fanfiction story…ever. So thank you for reading, and I hope enjoy it!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Hobbit.**

Chapter One: A small wonder

Thorin paced in front of a huge mahogany door that separated him from his sister, Dís. Her screams over the last few hours had put him on edge.

"Sit down, laddie. You aren't going to help her by wearing yourself out." Balin said to his pacing friend. He frowned when his words of wisdom either went unheard or unheeded.

Dwalin shook his head at Thorin; he had seen him less nervous at battle, surely his sister giving birth to her first child shouldn't be that nerve-wracking.

Thorin had, in fact, heard Balin's latest advice, but his friend's voice seemed miles away. He really wasn't caring about Balin or Dwalin right now; Dís was the only thing on his mind. Was she ok? Were there complications? Why had she been in there so long? Would the baby be healthy? What would Dís and Irík call their child? Why did the healers allow Irík in the room and not him? Would the child be a lad or lassie? Would he like being called "Uncle"? Many thoughts like these cascaded through Thorin's mind, mixing and melding together till one thought was barely distinguishable from another.

Just when Thorin finally debated on whether to sit down, Dís' scream was cut short and there was an eerie silence. Thorin ceased his pacing, listening for any sound coming from the room. If Dís' screams were unnerving, the silence was even more so. Long, agonizing seconds passed before the three men standing in the hall heard a high-pitched wail.

"Congratulations, laddie." Balin said patting Thorin on the back, "You have a little niece or nephew now."

A few minutes later the doors opened; Irík was beckoning them to come in, his mouth was twisted up in a lopsided grin and his green eyes seemed to shine with excitement. "Come in, come in. Dís is ready to see you. Where is Frerín? Well, it doesn't matter he is always late anyway. "

Thorin congratulated his brother-in-law before Irík showed him into the room.

Dís was lying on a large bed, her nut-brown hair was sticking to her damp forehead in sweaty ringlets, but she wore a smile Thorin had never seen before. Surprisingly, the room was large enough for five healers, Thorin, Irík, Dwalin, Balin, Dís and a plethora of furniture to fit without feeling crowded. Apparently being royalty helped Dís once again.

Thorin was at Dís beside before he even knew he had walked in. He kissed his sister's forehead and smiled at her before his attention was drawn to the small bundle in her arms.

"Thorin, meet your nephew, Fíli." Dís tilted the child toward Thorin so he could get a better view. The boy had fair skin and light blonde, peach-fuzz hair. Before Thorin could comment, Frerín strode into the room and up to Dís' bedside saying,

"Ah, so this is my new little niece or nephew."

"Nephew." Irík replied, "His name is Fíli."

"Fíli," Frerín nodded his head looking thoughtful, "I like it. Very good name, that is. Fit for the courageous warrior he will no doubt become."

Dís grimaced, looking lovingly at her son, "Don't speak of that quite yet, brother."

Frerín offered to hold him, and Dís gave the sleeping babe to her younger brother. Dwalin and Balin came closer to admire the baby, now that the family had had a chance to see him first.

"How are you doing, Dís?" Thorin asked, turning back to his sister while the others discussed young Fíli's future.

"I am well enough, tired, but well. I am glad my son has brought a smile to your face. Goodness knows there's little enough to smile about."

Thorin was surprised to find that he was smiling. "Don't worry about such things now, Dís, enjoy your son and husband."

Dís smiled up at Irík who was sitting next her on the side of the bed. How blessed she was to have such a family, a loving husband, two protective brothers, and now a beautiful son who would bring smiles to all of their faces.

Fíli began to cry and Frerín quickly passed the babe to Thorin. Fíli had decided to open his eyes, and Thorin almost lost his hold on his nephew in shock. Fíli's eyes were blue- sky blue. Not brown like Dís or Frerín, or green like Irík, but nearly the same shade of blue like Thorin's eyes.

Thorin smiled, and found himself beginning to hope again- smile again. He was indebted to his young nephew, Fíli, for that.

**That's the first chapter; I hope you all liked it! If you have any thing you want me to write about in Kíli and Fíli's life or certain things you want to read about, just let me know and I will try my best to satisfy you! Please, please review I'd like to know how I did for my very first posted chapter. Thank you all so much for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you **_**SO**_** much everyone for reading, reviewing, following, and adding my story to your favorites! You all are awesome! (A special shout out to: tweetzone86, Charlotte Oakenshield, Chantal92, SlashChickChallenger, Kootenay, and all my lovely other readers!) I am extremely excited to continue my Fanfiction since you all have been so fabulous. So here is my next chapter, I hope you like it! (And please review!)**

Chapter Two: A new hope, part one

Thorin sighed heavily as he made his way through the muddy streets with the other dwarves who had returned from the battle. Far too many never would return. Thorin heard the laughter of some families who were reunited with their loved ones, and the fearful silence of other families who waited outside in the rain for the person who would never come home.

The rain had let up, and the sun was peeking out through the ominous clouds a little, but the weather seemed to mimic Thorin's sorrow and despair. The puddles in the road reflected the houses and shops on either side of the street, and reminded Thorin of the puddles of blood after the battle. So much blood. Too much blood had been spilt that day, and would forever haunt Thorin's thoughts.

He wondered how he would tell Dís and his cheerful, bright-eyed nephew about the tragedy that had befallen them. How could he tell them and devastate their lives forever? Wherever Thorin went, destruction and sorrow always seemed to meet him- and his people. Was there no hope left in the world?

Dís' house loomed before him in an eerie silence. Surely he had gotten there too quickly. Thorin paused at the door, willing himself to go in but he could not move. Scenes from the battle played through his mind: the bodies of friends and comrades strewn across the battlefield, the agonizing groan of the dying and wounded, the horrors, the blood, so many dead.

Thorin shook his head and tried to clear his mind of grief, if only a little, before he entered Dís' house. Just when he had summoned enough resolve to at least open the door, the door opened from the inside, and little Fíli stood in the doorway smiling.

"Uncle Thorin! You've come back! Mum said you would. We've been waiting and waiting and waiting." Fíli's sky-blue eyes searched for another person who was supposed to be accompanying Thorin, "Where's Father? I want to show him the picture I drew. Uncle Thorin?" Young Fíli knew something was wrong by Thorin's solemn attitude.

Tears threatened to fall, but Thorin blinked them away quickly before his nephew could see. "Where is your mother? I need to speak with her right away."

Fíli opened the door all the way and led Thorin to the kitchen, his cheerful attitude now replaced by a growing fear.

Dís was baking something; she looked mostly happy as she hummed an old dwarvish tune. She was weeks away from giving birth to her and Irík's second child- a child that would never know his father.

She turned upon hearing their entry, and turned with a smile. Fear in her son's eyes and sorrow in her brother's soon vanquished her lovely smile. "Thorin, where is Irík? Where's Frerín?"

"They aren't coming home Dís," Thorin replied, not caring that his voice gave out or that tears began to fall freely down his face, "Fíli and I are your only family now."

Dís began to sob hysterically, and Thorin went to her and held her like he used to do a long time ago. She was shaking violently, and Thorin feared she would hyperventilate.

"Uncle, where's Father? Why hasn't he come back with you?" Fíli asked, tears of his own began to flow down his cheeks.

Thorin let go of Dís for a moment to kneel beside Fíli, placing his rough, calloused hands on the dwarfling's tiny shoulders. "Your father isn't coming home, Fíli."

"But why? He promised to teach me to fight when I'm older and he said he would teach me Khuzdul. Why did he leave me?"

Thorin had no reply, but pulled the young dwarf close and his mother, who had collapsed to her knees, and cried bitter tears with them. For a few moments they remained like this, until Dís gave a sharp cry and clutched her abdomen. Thorin knew something was very wrong.

"Fíli, look after your mother while I fetch the healers, alright? I'll be right back." Thorin kissed Dís' forehead before he stood up and left the house at a run. He had lost his brother, brother-in-law, and grandfather in the battle; his father had gone insane from grief and disappeared without a trace. He wasn't going to lose Dís and her unborn child as well. No, he would protect his remaining family with his life before he saw one of them die.

There it is! Sorry it's sad, and a cliffhanger but I had to make two parts to this chapter. If you have any ideas, please send them to me and I will try to write them. Thank you so very much for reading this! Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is the second part to the cliffhanger; I hope you all enjoy it! Thank you, everyone for your amazing response to my story, it means a lot to me. (Special shout outs to: HGR2013, DIGIF13, GregsMadHatter, Sethclearwaterforever, scraplove, Luv2FigureSkate8, and katzy8!)**

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Chapter Two: A new hope, part two

Thorin didn't really care if he looked like a lunatic when he got to the healing house and told the healers there that something was wrong with Dís, but he surmised he looked quite a sight. He still had his dusty and bloodstained clothes on since he didn't have a chance to change, his hair was in a terrible state of unruliness, and his eyes were probably red and a little swollen from weeping. Thankfully the healers didn't mention his wild appearance, and they followed him back to Dís' house with out question or hesitation.

When they entered the kitchen, Dís was still crying and shrieking at irregular intervals. Fíli was by her side, his former tears gone but not forgotten, his eyes betrayed his worry when he looked up to see Thorin and the healers come in.

The young lad stepped aside, allowing the healers space to examine Dís. After a minute or two of hushed discussion, the healers gently picked Dís up and carried her to her bedroom. Thorin and Fíli were close behind, but the healers shut the door in their faces, confining them to the hall.

Fíli looked up at Thorin warily, "Uncle? Is Mum going to leave like Father?" Fíli's tears that had been forgotten for the moment, returned with full force.

Thorin looked down at his nephew's innocent face and fearful eyes saddened his soul. Such a young dwarfling shouldn't have to know the terror of death so soon. "I hope not, Fíli, I hope not."

Thorin knelt, scooping little Fíli into his arms, and carried his distraught nephew as far away from Dís' bedroom as possible. Thorin felt much like he did when Fíli was born, the fear, the worry, not daring to hope; except this time each emotion was multiplied tenfold or more. Dís' panicked screams faded as Thorin contemplated his own dark thoughts, barely noticing anything that happened outside of his mind.

Fíli cried, huddled up in Thorin's arms, but soon grief and exhaustion overwhelmed him, and he fell into a restless sleep. Thorin was roused from his thoughts, and he gazed lovingly at his sleeping nephew, his blonde hair seemed to shine like polished gold, even if it was a little mussed. He was so young, too young to have already lost a father. He would protect his little nephew if Dís and the babe died. No, they wouldn't die. How could he think of such a thing?

Thorin sat there for what seemed like an eternity; seconds seemed to pass by as years and minutes seemed a century. How long he and his sleeping nephew had been sitting there, he did not know. A healer eventually found them and summoned them to Dís' room. Thorin hadn't realized how quiet it had gotten, the only sound that he heard was his and the healer's footsteps on the stone floor, and Fíli's breathing.

He paused at the closed door to Dís' room, and mentally prepared himself for the worst. The healer slowly opened the door, and to Thorin's surprise and gratitude, Dís was sitting up in her bed, holding a small blanket-wrapped bundle.

"Come in, Thorin." Dís smiled sadly at him, but smiled nonetheless. Thorin noticed a deep sorrow in her dark eyes, where merriment should have been.

"How are you, Dís?" Thorin asked, setting sleeping Fíli on the lower half of the bed.

"Not well, brother, as you might have guessed. I have to be strong now, for my two sons." She glanced from the babe in her arms to her sleeping son, then to Thorin's concerned eyes.

Thorin swallowed hard, "What is his name then?" His voice sounded gruff from contained emotion.

"Kíli." Dís said, gently handing the babe to Thorin. Kíli had dark skin and dark hair like his mother, and when he opened his eyes, Thorin noted the mischievous tinkle in his newest nephew's dark brown eyes.

Thorin looked up at Dís, and both of their visions blurred for a moment, as they comprehend how precious life was, and was to be enjoyed every single moment.

Fíli woke and sat up, looking around. Relief flooded his face when he saw his mother alive and well. "Mum!" He said, scrambling over to her and laying his head on her shoulder.

"Hello, my darling. Would you like to see your new brother?" Dís asked as Thorin passed Kíli back to her. Fíli stared at the babe for a moment in awe at the tiny body and the dark, expressive eyes. "His name is Kíli, my dear, and he will need a lot of looking after, so will you help look after him with me?"

Fíli nodded, stroking his brother's face, "Hi, Kíli. I'm your big brother, Fíli. I'm going to watch out for you, and so is Mum and Uncle Thorin." Kíli chose the perfect time to smile, and Fíli's childish laughter filled the room when he did so. "He smiled!"

Thorin sat at the edge of Dís' bed, watching Fíli interact with his brother, not even noticing the healers quietly leaving the room. Dís looked at her older brother, and smiled slightly. Maybe Kíli would lessen the sorrow for them all.

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**There it is, everyone, hope you liked it! **_**Please**_** review! You inspire me to write when you do so! Thank you for reading! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, everyone! You inspired me to write again, so here is the next chapter. It has a lighter mood than the last two chapters, and I hope you enjoy it! Thank you all for reading, it has been so much fun to write and show it to you all. (Special shout-outs to: gpgal, Frodo's sister, Ilovevolleyball, and Nimrill Baggins!) Again, thank you so much for reading, and please review!**

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Chapter Three: Less than a year

Less than a year since that fateful day, less than a year since their lives had changed dramatically. Thorin's pain began to heal slightly as he rejoiced in his remaining family, but some things never heal, and will always leave a scar. He and Dís could actually talk about their deceased family members for a short period of time without weeping, and young Fíli and Kíli made life an adventure worth living.

Thorin had moved in with Dís and the boys, since there was plenty of room and he felt that Dís might be uncomfortable in the house alone with her boys. Thorin had taken up residence in the guest section of the house, and he had to admit it was better than his old house. He had a large bedchamber, a massive study, and an adjoining library to himself, just a few corridors away from Dís and his nephew's room.

Of course, their altered life needed a little more adjusting, but they were figuring it out day by day. Fíli was at an age where everything was a curiosity and should be investigated. Once, Thorin found his young nephew trying to get into the indoor training room, goodness knows what Fíli might have done to himself in there. After that, Dís insisted on locking the training room door and only she and Thorin had a key. Fíli still found ways to get into mischief though.

Thorin went to work at the forge from early morning till evening, and Dís made the meals, looked after her children and many other tasks Thorin didn't know the full extent of. The shadows of life finally seemed to be passing.

Thorin woke late morning and swore under his breath, he should have been at the forge already. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of his bed when he remembered, he had taken the day off. Today was young Fíli's sixth birthday. Dís and the boys were probably already up and waiting for him; Thorin swore again and quickly put on his nice clothes.

He walked down the hall at a fast pace, and into the kitchen skidding to a stop when he saw only Dís and Kíli awake.

"Good morning," Dís said with a smile as she stirred something in a pot while holding Kíli, "Fíli is still sleeping, if that's what you are wondering."

"I hoped I wasn't holding up the celebration." Thorin said, taking Kíli from his sister to give her a break. The babe smiled a gurgled as he tugged on Thorin's hair with a surprisingly strong grip.

"I told Fíli to stay a little while in his room so when he comes out, everything will be ready. He should be up soon." Dís replied setting a delicious looking platter of muffins on the table.

As if on cue, Fíli bounced into the room, "bounced" being the only appropriate word Thorin could think of.

"Happy birthday, my dear." Dís said hugging her son, and planting a kiss on his forehead.

"Thank you, Mum!" Fíli replied before Thorin knelt and wished him a happy birthday. Dís only made extravagant food when there was a special occasion, and her son's birthday was a special occasion indeed. Thorin wished she would cook like this all the time, as he finished off his fifth muffin.

After breakfast, they all left the house and journeyed through the streets to a very humble looking toyshop. Fíli knew what this place was, and ran in without waiting for his uncle or mother.

"Oh, good morning lad!" the shopkeeper said when he saw Fíli enter, then bowed a little clumsily when he saw Dís and Thorin enter, "Good day to you all."

"Good morning, Bofur." Dís replied smiling graciously.

"Mister Bofur, today is my birthday!" Fíli said to the dwarf.

"Is it now? Well then, on this very special day, you can pick any toy you want, it'll be my gift." Bofur replied gesturing around the store. Fíli whooped with joy and ran off to look at all the items for sale. "If the wee one wants something too, he can have it." Bofur added.

Dís looked from Bofur to Kíli who was playing with her hair, "I think he is a little young, but thank you all the same." Bofur shrugged and smiled.

A few minutes later, Fíli was holding two toys, one from Bofur and one from his mother and uncle, his blue eyes shining with a happiness Thorin hadn't seen in several months. After spending the whole day enjoying Fíli and going wherever he wanted to go, they walked home carrying two sleeping boys and a plethora of toys and half eaten treats.

Thorin laid Fíli gently down on his own small bed; the poor lad had worn himself out from all the excitements of youth.

"Thank you, Uncle Thorin." Fíli replied sleepily, "Today was the best birthday ever."

Thorin chuckled and patted Fíli's head before leaving his room. It had been a good day after all.

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**Hope you all liked it! I will update the story soon! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you all so much! I am so excited to continue writing! (Shout outs to: Ilovevollyball, Midnight Flamera, Linani, washow, and Bumblebee's girl!) Here is a little Kíli and Fíli mischief for you, I hope you like it! Please review!**

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Chapter Four: Forbidden

"Kíli, go back. I told you to not to come with me." Fíli said, turning around to face his younger brother. Just when he thought he had convinced Kíli not to join in his escapade, there he was, smiling innocently. Fíli had wanted not to involve Kíli in his mischievous adventure, which he would probably get in trouble for, but there was no stopping Kíli when he set his mind on something.

Kíli smiled and shook his head, his dark hair flying wildly, "No."

Fíli sighed and pointed back the way they had come, "Kíli, I don't want you to get in trouble. Go back." Kíli widened his dark eyes as far as they would go, and plastered on a pleading expression. Iron resolve melted like butter when Kíli used his puppy dog eyes, and this situation was no exception. "Uh! All right, fine. You can come."

Kíli cheered and raced ahead as fast as his tiny legs would carry him. Fíli sighed and shook his head; sometimes he swore his little brother would be the death of him.

Their plan was to steal Thorin's key to the training room and go in to the forbidden area. They weren't exactly sure what they would do in there, but the prospect of weapons and danger was something neither boy could resist.

Fíli had seen where Thorin kept his key when he peeked through the door last week, after Thorin had completed his weekly training session. Now an irresistible urge had surfaced, and Fíli couldn't help but try to get into the training room. Why was it locked up anyway? No matter, they would succeed in their quest, Fíli felt sure of it.

Thorin's section of the house was a place that was almost sacred. Rarely did Fíli or Kíli go there, and that was only when Dís or Thorin asked them to. Kíli slowed his sprint when he stepped past the invisible barrier into Thorin's realm. Fíli took the lead and crept into Thorin's bedroom. Kíli looked wide-eyed around the room when he stepped in, everything in the room looked so different when you actually go into the room than just standing in the hall.

The warg hide on the wall, the fireplace, the extra large bed, the smell of smoke, Thorin's pipe, an odd picture framed on the wall- these were all things that seemed to be too sacred to touch, or even look at, to the dwarflings.

Fíli stood on a chair and lifted up the surprisingly weighty warg hide, sure enough there was a small key hanging on a hook behind it. Fíli exhaled a sigh of relief and jumped off the chair, his triumph in hand. Kíli was on Thorin's bed, happily dangling his tiny legs over the edge.

"Kíli!" Fíli said, his eyes bugging out, "Get off of Uncle Thorin's bed!" Sometimes Fíli wondered if his brother actually wanted to die sometimes. How did he get up there anyway? Thorin's bed was quite high off the ground. Kíli pouted, but jumped off the bed, landing lightly on his feet. "We've got to hurry before Mum notices we are being too quiet, and comes looking for us. All right?"

Kíli nodded. They made their way to the training room and deftly unlocked the door with the stolen key. A loud click resounded through the halls, and Fíli and Kíli froze in their tracks, but nothing stirred. They opened the door and crept inside.

Neither of the dwarflings had ever seen so many weapons, let alone in one place. There were numerous swords, bows, battle-axes, throwing knives, daggers, and halberds all of varying sizes, shapes and designs. All were in pristine condition, except the archery section looked a little neglected. There was also a massive area that was empty, presumably for training.

Fíli and Kíli wandered around, dumbstruck. This place was amazing! Fíli was drawn to a particularly shiny sword, and he hesitantly reached out and touched the cool metal blade. Without warning, it toppled over and clattered to the floor bringing another sword with it. The swords fell like dominos, and before Fíli could stop the tumbling swords, one landed on Kíli's foot with a resounding crunch.

Kíli began to wail, and Fíli sprinted over to his brother, cradling the bawling dwarf in his arms, "Kíli, Kíli, are you ok? Please don't cry, Kíli. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I'm so stupid." Kíli cried into Fíli's tunic, clinging to his brother in spite of what happened. Fíli hefted his brother in his arms, and ran out of the room as best he could, to Dís in the kitchen. When she saw her two sons crying, one out of pain and one out of guilt, she summoned the healers immediately.

Dís listened to the tearful apology and story as the healers examined Kíli's foot, tapping fingers on the table all the while. The healers bandaged Kíli's foot after pronouncing he had broken a few toes, and left the now quiet sons to Dís' care.

"That is why we locked the door, Fíli." Dís said in an even tone, "So neither of you would get hurt."

Fíli hung his head, "I know, Mum."

"Kíli, you aren't out of trouble yet either." Dís said turning to Kíli who was sitting on a sofa, his leg propped up. Kíli mimicked his brother's action, and sniffled a little. Dís shook her head, and pulled both boys close, giving them both a loving kiss on the forehead. "I'm glad you two are mostly unscathed. Even though I am a little disappointed, I will always love you two. No matter what you do."

"I love you too, Mum." Two little dwarflings said in sync, relaxing in their mother's embrace.

"Now, I'm sure Thorin would like to hear about this when he gets home from the forge." Dís said.

Fíli and Kíli paled.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you for reading! I had a little writer's block on this chapter, but I squeezed out every bit of inspiration I had to give it to you. If you have ideas for my next chapter I would love to hear them! A MASSIVE "thank you" to my reviewers, your lovely reviews kept me going! (Special shout outs to: madelinemaryann, Charlotte Oakenshield, Frodo's sister, GregsMadHatter, Element Life, and Typewriter101!) I really hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review!**

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Chapter Five: A brother's bond

"You need to talk to them, Thorin." Dís said keeping her voice low. Her two sons were scowling at each other across the kitchen table. "They've been at each other's throats for a few days and every time I try to talk to them they won't say anything. I'm such a terrible mother. Irík would have known what to do." Dís looked on the verge of tears.

Thorin put a hand on her shoulder, "You are a wonderful mother and sister, Dís. I'll talk to them, don't worry." She nodded gratefully, drawing a hand over her face. Whatever the problem, Thorin would be sure to fix it.

Thorin turned from Dís to his nephews, not very happy at all. "Boys, come with me." He growled, walking from the kitchen, knowing his nephews would follow. Kíli and Fíli followed behind Thorin as he led them to his study; both still angry with the other, but now their moods had a healthy dose of fear intermixed with the anger.

Thorin shut his study door and sat on the nearest chair, Fíli and Kíli standing humbly before him. He waited a moment before speaking, hoping to intimidate them a little. "Your mother is worried about you two. She feels that you two aren't exactly friendly towards each other as of late." Thorin raised an eyebrow, "Would you like to tell me why?"

Fíli was looking down at the floor and Kíli was trying his best not to cry. Sure enough, it was Kíli who spoke first.

"Fíwi says I a weakling and I not ever gonna be great warrior like you." Kíli burst into tears and ran to Thorin, burying his face in his uncle's tunic, "He says I a baby. I am not a baby." Thorin tried to be firm, but he could not be gruff when his nephew was in distress.

Thorin recalled what Kíli had just said, and tried hard not to chuckle, his little nephew who was barely taller than the height of his knees saying he wasn't a baby. Also Kíli had said a 'great warrior like you' did his nephews really view him as a hero? But other words were more concerning. "Fíli, why did you say this to your brother?" Thorin asked, looking up at his eldest nephew.

Fíli met his uncle's gaze teary-eyed, "I didn't mean to, I was grumpy and it slipped out. I never meant it, I just~" he cut himself off with a whimper.

"Come here, lad." Thorin held out his free arm and Fíli ran to him. Thorin remembered how he and Frerín didn't get along sometimes, and how he had said unkind things to his baby brother. How he wished he hadn't said all those terrible things, and instead just hugged his brother tight and said 'I love you' more often. Thorin missed Frerín so much that it hurt, and for a long while he didn't say anything to the bawling dwarflings.

In a few minutes both dwarflings quieted somewhat, and Fíli said, "I'm sorry, Kíli. I didn't mean it; you will be a great warrior one day, just like Uncle. Please forgive me?"

Kíli looked up from Thorin's tunic at his brother and nodded, "I sorry too, Fíwi. I sorry I punched you." Thorin looked at his nephews incredulously, they had failed to mention that.

Fíli smiled and rubbed his arm subconsciously, "That's ok. You've got a good arm, little brother."

Kíli jumped off of Thorin's knee, smiling, and hugged Fíli fiercely, "I love you, Fíwi."

"I love you too, Kíli." He said ruffled his brother's unkempt hair.

Thorin witnessed the scene silently, painfully aware that these two could do what he hadn't so many years ago: saying 'I'm sorry'

Thorin cleared his throat and got the attention of his nephews, "I hope you two learned a lesson today. No matter what comes between you, whether anger or distance, you two will always be brothers. And brothers look out for each other." Thorin stood and opened his study door, "You may go now."

Kíli and Fíli walked out the room, their brotherly bond and good moods restored. The last thing Thorin heard was little Kíli's voice saying, "Don't worry, Fíli, I protect you when I become great warrior."

And Fíli replying, "I have no doubt."

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**As I said, I had writer's block, so I am really sorry if this chapter is less than it ought to have been. Please review and tell me what you thought of it!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you, everyone! I was pulled out of my writer's block by your kind reviews. Here is the next chapter; I hope you are pleased with it! It was a lot of fun to write. (Shout outs to: Charlotte Oakenshield, GregsMadHatter, Sinatra209, and all of my lovely readers!) Please review and tell me what you think! **

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Chapter Six: Cake and catastrophe

Two worried faces met Thorin as he walked out of Dís' bedroom and into the hall. Fíli and Kíli were waiting by the bedroom door in hope that someone might tell them what was going on.

"Is Mum ok?" Kíli asked, his nervous little hands tugging at his tunic.

Thorin nodded, "Yes, she's fine, Kíli. She's just a little ill is all, she'll be alright in a few days."

"But Mum is never sick." Fíli countered.

The boy had a point, Dís was usually never sick. In fact, Thorin couldn't remember the last time she had been ill. "Well, no she's usually not, but she is now. I'm taking a few days off of work so I can assist her and look after you two. We need to be considerate and quiet so she can rest, alright?"

Both nephews nodded, their initial worry gone. Suddenly Kíli thought of something and bounced up and down on his toes, "Mum make me and Fíwi somethin' special when we sick. We make somethin' for Mum."

"Good thinking, Kíli," Fíli said ruffling his brother's hair, "We should make her favorite cake." Kíli nodded emphatically. "If Uncle would help us…"

Thorin looked down at the two pleading faces. He didn't know a lot about cooking; in fact he knew practically nothing, but if his nephews wanted to do something special for Dís he would help them. "I will help you, but you've got to be careful, I don't want either one of you to get injured."

"We won', Unca Thowin." Kíli said reassuringly before he bounded down the hall, heading towards the kitchen. Fíli was at his brother's heels.

Thorin shook his head and followed his nephews to the kitchen. They were already waiting for him, the recipe on the table, and apron in hand. Thorin almost chuckled, his little nephews wanted to wear Dís' feminine apron? Well, if they wanted to, they could; Thorin wouldn't stop them. Thorin picked up the recipe and perused it; it didn't look too hard, they could make this. He felt a tug on his tunic and looked down, Kíli was holding up Dís' apron for him to take.

When he didn't take it, Kíli looked at Thorin confused and said, "Unca Thowin?" Grudgingly, Thorin took the apron and put it on, hoping that no one would stop by for a visit today. Kíli smiled and scrambled up to the kitchen counter, clutching a wooden spoon.

Thorin and Fíli worked on the cake mixture as Kíli sat on the countertop directing their actions. Finally, after toiling away for an hour or more, Thorin put the finished batter into the fire oven to bake. Thorin sat down heavily on a chair, baking shouldn't be this hard. Dís made it look so easy; maybe Thorin had underestimated how much work his sister did for them. Fíli helped Kíli down from the counter and they both sat down at the kitchen table next to Thorin.

They were talking about random things for a while, but were interrupted when Kíli shrieked, "UNCA THOWIN! IT ON FIRE!"

Thorin whipped his head around, and sure enough black smoke was pouring out of the oven. He jumped up and grabbed the nearest oven cloth. Their toilsome cake was in flames, and Thorin quickly took it out of the oven and dunked it in the water container. The cake sizzled and the flames went out, but something still smelt on fire. Thorin looked around and realized the edge on his tunic was burning; he quickly smothered the flames and leaned against the counter panting. Fíli and Kíli's faces showed awe and despair at their ruined surprise.

As much as he hated to say it, Thorin said, "Shall we try again?"

They got back to work. A second, superior cake was made and was cooling on the counter, after being carefully monitored during the baking process. Finally, when it was done cooling, they cut it into generous slices and plated a piece to be given to Dís.

Thorin cautiously opened Dís' bedroom door, hoping she wasn't asleep. Thankfully she wasn't and Thorin walked in with Fíli and Kíli, holding their triumph in hand.

"This for you, Mum. We makes it for you to make you better." Kíli said as Dís smiled and gratefully took the slice of cake.

"Thank you, darlings, I'm sure it will help me get better." She said before taking a bite. She nodded in approval, and praised her sons on their cooking abilities. Then she looked at Thorin and burst out laughing. "My my, Brother, don't you look stunning in my apron."

Thorin inwardly cringed; of course he had forgotten to take it off. He didn't reply and Dís laughed on. They chatted for a few minutes before leaving her to recover.

When they were out in the hall, Kíli looked up at Thorin and said, "Thanks, Unca Thowin. Mum is happy."

Thorin scooped both nephews into his arms saying, "You're very welcome. Now let's have taste of our cooking."

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**There it is, everyone, I hope you liked it! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you, readers, reviewers, and followers, you make my day! I hope you like this chapter as much as I did writing it! (Shout outs to: GregsMadHatter, and trinpanda71!) Please review, but most of all, enjoy!**

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Chapter Seven: Snow day

Fíli wiped the window off with his tunic sleeve so he and Kíli could look outside. It was a winter wonderland. All the trees were laden with snow, their branches nearly reaching the ground because the snow was so heavy. The ground was covered with a thick layer of whiteness, only disturbed when people had walked through it. But on such a day most people were indoors, keeping warm by the fire.

The window fogged up again with Kíli and Fíli's breath, and Fíli wiped off the window again. "Boys, come sit by the fire." Dís called to them, somewhat amused at their behavior. Kíli and Fíli scrambled back to the warm fire and the hot drinks Dís had made them.

"Mum?" Kíli began, using his most innocent voice, "Can Fíwi and me play in the snow? Pwomise won' get sick, pwease?"

Dís looked skeptically at her youngest sons pleading face to the snowstorm. She was about to answer negatively, but Kíli wasn't done bargaining. "We tell you if we get cold, right, Fíwi?" Kíli nudged his brother without breaking eye contact with his mother. Eye contract was important; his puppy dog eyes didn't work unless Kíli unmercifully stared at the person in question, which was at this moment his mother.

"Yeah, we'll be careful, Mum." Fíli piped up, "Please?"

Dís sighed, "Fine, you may go outside. But only if you come in the instant you feel even the slightest bit cold."

Fíli and Kíli grinned and ran off to get their outdoor winter attire on. Dís chuckled and left the comfort of the fire to help them. Goodness knows those boys would run out into the snow in naught but their skin, if given the opportunity.

In a few minutes, the brothers were wrapped up and ready to brave the snow. Fíli had chuckled when he saw what his mother had done to Kíli. She had a long scarf wrapped around his face who knows how many times; all you could see of Kíli were his eyes and a bit of his dark hair. Fíli's chuckle turned into a moan as Dís did the same to him.

She would not let them get sick, they could be very hard to deal with, and she didn't like seeing her beloved sons in misery. The two boys reached the back door and waddled into the outdoors. 'Waddled' being the only fitting word Dís could think of.

"Come on, Kíli!" Fíli shouted, before running off into the snow. Kíli said something but he couldn't hear due to the scarf around his little brother's head. "What?" he called, turning around to face his younger brother. A snowball hit Fíli right in face, luckily it was mostly powdery snow or else it would have hurt much worse.

Kíli tugged on the scarf with his mitten, he was laughing hard. "Fíwi, your face!" he said in between giggles. Kíli's laughter abated a little when a snowball hit his chest.

"This is war, little brother." Fíli said after he had tried to dodge a snowball but failed miserably.

The snowball fight had begun, Kíli giggled non-stop, and Fíli wondered how he drew breath. He also realized Kíli had a superior aim; how such a little dwarfling could time his throw perfectly was beyond him.

"Truce!" Fíli called after a several minutes of good-natured fighting. They happily agreed to make snow people next.

When Dís looked out the window to make sure her sons were ok, the ground looked like a battle scene…. it was a battle scene. Fíli and Kíli were making people lying on the ground as a few people stood victorious. Kíli was even sticking icicles like arrows in the snow figures on the ground. She shook her head, what would she do with those two rambunctious boys?

When they were finished they called Dís out to look at their craftsmanship. Kíli bounded through the snow, telling her about their morbid scene, "These all the dead orcs, some shot with bow." He pointed to the figures with icicles in them, "Some killeded with sword." Dís, Fíli and Kíli reached the few people standing.

Fíli continued the explanation, "And this is Uncle Thorin, you, Kíli and I." He said proudly displaying their handiwork. Dís walked around and looked at the figures, snow wasn't the most flattering tool for a sculpture but her boys did extremely well. She was surprised to find that Kíli's figure had a twig bow-like instrument in his hand.

"This is very good, boys." Dís said ruffling both of her son's head. "Now, lets get inside and warm up by the fire."

"But Mum…" Kíli said pouting pitifully

"No 'buts', Kíli, your teeth are chattering." Dís walked to the house with her sons.

"My teeth cold, but rest of me isn't." Kíli added hopefully, but Dís' resolve wouldn't be bent this time.

Soon the two dwarflings were wrapped up in blankets, sipping warm tea as they sat contentedly by the fire with their mother. Dís heard the front door open and close, and Thorin walking through the hall.

"The forge closed early, Dís, they didn't want anyone to be snowed in." She heard her brother say as he explored the kitchen for something, "But hopefully-…. what in the Durin's name happened in the back yard?"

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**There it is, please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone, this is the next chapter. I had to rush it so it may not be that good. (Thank you to: GregsMadHatter, Charlotte Oakenshield, and ilovevollyball!) Anyway I hope you like this chapter, and please review and tell me how I did.**

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Chapter Eight: Old memories

"What's the matter with Uncle Thorin, Mum?" Fíli asked, glancing at his Uncle. Thorin had been acting oddly all day. He had stayed home from the forge, which he usually never did, and stared at nothing as he sat smoking his pipe. Fíli was sure his Uncle was going to pass out from lack of oxygen soon, from the thick blanket of smoke that inhabited the living room.

Dís looked through the door at her brother; today was the anniversary of the start of their troubles…. the day that Smaug had taken Erebor. Thorin had always acted a bit strange on this day, but never as strange as he was acting right now. Dís looked from her boys' faces to her brother and sighed heavily.

"Mum?" Kíli shifted his weight from one foot to the other when she didn't answer. Fíli knew he did that whenever he was worried or anxious.

"Come boys, let's not disturb your Uncle." Dís said quietly before leading them silently away down the hall, hoping not to agitate her brother. Her efforts were for naught; nothing could disturb Thorin from his dark thoughts today.

"Mum?" Kíli tried again, tugging at Dís skirt when they were far away from Thorin, "Why Unca Thowin so sad?" Dís smiled, nothing was sweeter than her two little boys, when they were in an agreeable mood.

"Because, Kíli, something very bad happened on this day several years ago. Your Uncle is just remembering what happened, and he's a little distracted today. That's all."

"But what happened, Mum?" Fíli said, frustrated that adults always kept so many secrets.

Dís own thoughts went back to the day of the dragon taking over their home. Scorching hot flames, so many dwarves dead because they tried to defend their families, all the fear, people screaming, so much confusion. Even though she dwelt on that painful memory, she wasn't nearly as affected as Thorin. Maybe he needed someone to talk to, tell his mind to. He needed support, and Dís had almost felt him to wallow in his own dark thoughts.

"Go talk to your Uncle, boys. He needs you two." Dís said so abruptly that both of her sons jumped a little.

Kíli and Fíli exchanged glances before walking off in the direction they had just come from. They paused at the door, not wanting to interrupt Thorin, but they crept in anyway. Thorin didn't see them come in, nor did he see anything else. All was lost to him except past events.

Kíli walked up to Thorin and stood staring at him. "Unca Thowin?" Thorin didn't respond, so Kíli scrambled into his Uncle's lap. Fíli wondered again if Kíli ever had a death wish sometimes. His baby brother could be so reckless.

Thorin was startled out of his thoughts when a small dwarfling sat on his knee and looked up at him with large brown eyes. Fíli coughed, unable to help himself, it was so smoky in here. Thorin inhaled deeply and chocked a little himself. He got up and opened a window before sitting back down on his original seat.

"Unca Thowin, you ok? You sad." Kíli said hesitantly, "Mum said you remember somethin' bad."

Thorin smiled a little at his youngest nephew, "Yes, Kíli, I am remembering something bad that happened a long time ago." He glanced over at Fíli who had kept his distance, and beckoned him over.

Only when Fíli had gotten comfortable on Thorin's free leg did he ask, "Will you tell us what happened? Sometimes we get nightmares and we tell them to Mum and it isn't so bad anymore."

Thorin sighed and looked down at his two nephews, how could they understand the loss of their home? But he couldn't refuse his nephews, so he began his story.

"Once there was a might dwarf kingdom called Erebor. It was a marvelous place filled with jewels and precious metals. Many dwarves lived there and a king ruled them all, my grandfather, Thror. One day…" He continued his story, growing in confidence as his nephews listened intently, their eyes glistening with excitement. Kíli and Fíli were a little sad now that Thorin had finished his story and was silent again.

The story had a sad tone in it, but it was the sadness in Thorin's eyes that touched Fíli and Kíli's hearts. They had never seen their uncle that sorrowful before, and Kíli knew he had to do something to cheer his Uncle.

"Unca, when Fíwi and I older, we go to Erebor and kill the dwagon, then Mum can come and we all be happy."

Thorin smiled at his little nephew, maybe one day that would happen, but he would not take his sister's-sons. He would rather Erebor be taken a thousand times than to have them die on a futile quest.

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**There is it, please review and tell me if it was terrible or not. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello, everyone, here's the next chapter. Sorry it has been awhile since I updated, but hopefully this chapter makes up for it. (Shout outs to: FullMoonSerina, thewayfaringstrangers, Charlotte Oakenshield, GregsMadHatter, Ilovevollyball, Nimrill Baggins, itsalltodash, nightmare13, Tanith221b, and DIGIFAN99!) The reviews were so lovely; I am ecstatic every time I get one! I hope this chapter meets your expectations, and please review!**

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Chapter Nine: Bedtime story

"Alright, I am off." Dís said kissing her two boys before nodding her thanks to Thorin who had just walked in the door from a days work at the forge. "Kíli, Fíli, be good and don't give your uncle trouble. A friend of mine is sick so I am bringing her some supper, and I'll help her a little while I'm there. I won't be back until you two are in bed and asleep, so goodnight and please behave. I made some stew for your dinner. Good bye!"

Thorin barely caught a word of Dís' whirlwind of instructions before she whisked out the door, basket in hand. He shut the door and shook his head; sometimes his sister could be a little odd.

"We gonna eat now, Unca Thowin?" Kíli asked, glancing wistfully in the direction of the kitchen.

"As soon as we all wash up, yes." Thorin replied. Kíli gave a whoop and ran off to wash his hands.

Fíli and Thorin exchanged humorous glances before following Kíli's lead and making their way to the bathing room. "He's always hungry." Fíli said after a dark haired streak ran around them towards the kitchen.

"Both of your are. That's good, it means you are growing." Thorin had noticed lately how both of his nephews seemed to be growing up so fast. Wasn't it only yesterday Dís was carrying around newborn Kíli? Soon his little nephews would grow up, learn how to defend themselves and start families of their own. Thorin reined in his thoughts, he was thinking too far into the future, take one day at a time. A thought did strike him funny, his two grown nephews trying to handle little dwarflings. He smiled as the thought played out.

Fíli looked quizzically at a grinning Thorin, then shrugged; if Thorin was happy and smiling, Fíli wouldn't be the one to stop him.

Kíli was impatient to start eating, and as soon as Thorin put a bowl of stew in front of him, he began to eat with gusto. Fíli ate a little slower, but not with less enthusiasm.

Thorin was almost glad when they were done eating, and his nephews asked him to play with them. Soon he found himself chasing two giggling dwarflings around the house, and laughing once and awhile himself. His two innocent nephews could always brighten his day and make him laugh.

Finally, Kíli and Fíli wore themselves out and Thorin scooped them up and put them in their beds. Just when he was through the door, he heard Kíli's sleepy voice say, "Unca Thowin, you gonna read us bedtime story?"

Thorin sighed and reluctantly walked back into his nephews' room, "Yes, Kíli, pick out the book and I'll read it." Thorin didn't see the mischievous twinkle in his youngest nephew's dark eyes when he got up and handed him a large book.

"Great heroes and battles? Boys, are you sure you want to hear this before you go to bed?" Thorin asked. Two head nodded in unison, and Thorin began to read.

The description of the gore and battles made even Thorin grimace; Dís didn't read this to her sons, did she? Thorin stopped reading when Fíli and Kíli showed signs of fear. He bid them goodnight after tucking them in, and left to work on some projects he had to get done, hoping that his two nephews weren't too scared to sleep.

Thorin worked on his projects for an hour or so before he heard the patter of two little feet behind him.

"Unca, we can' sleep." Kíli stated, looking around Thorin's room fearfully.

Thorin hid a small smile before putting his nephews on his bed, as he sat beside them, humming softly. Whatever fear had caused his nephews to stay awake, was now dispelled as they slowly drifted off to sleep.

Thorin gazed fondly at his now sleeping nephews, Kíli's wild hair was all over, and Fíli's limbs were spread out in all directions also. Thorin shifted and was about to get up, but Kíli rolled over and reached out to stop him.

"Thank you, Unca Thowin." He said, his eyes closed and his brown hair wrapped around half of his head, "You always gonna protect me and Fíwi."

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**There it is! Thank you for reading; I hope you liked it. Please review and tell me how I did!**


	11. Chapter 11

**This chapter was a little bit of a struggle, and I hope it isn't too rushed. It's a little short too; I'll try harder to make the chapters longer. Thank you to all my lovely readers and supporters; what would I do without you? (Shout outs to: GregsMadHatter, TiaT, and kao-nyh!) Please review!**

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Chapter Ten: Nightmares and shadows

Dís woke with a start, and found herself staring into the inky blackness that surrounded her in her room. Her breath came labored and fast, and she wasn't surprised to find hot tears running down her face. No matter how many times she had that one dream, it still haunted her.

She sat up and wiped her tears away, and tried to calm herself, if only a little. In a moment her breath came easier and her heart wasn't beating as fast but the dream couldn't be forgotten that easily. Dís had already dreamt it twice before and a small part of her thought it might be gone since she hadn't dreamt it in a while but it had come again tonight.

Life was getting better. Thorin was generously providing for her and her boys, and they all lived contented and mostly peaceful lives. The question was: why was she having this horrible dream? And why was she afraid?

If only she could tell someone, then the dream might stop torturing her mind, but she had no one to tell this burden to. All her friends might think her insane or ill, and she couldn't tell Thorin because it might worry him. No, she would tell no one and let things be.

Dís swung her legs over the side of her bed, and carefully made her way out of her dark bedroom and into the hall. The hall was lit eerily by the silver moonlight coming through the windows, but Dís' mind was preoccupied and she didn't notice.

Often the house at night was a place of refuge and serenity for Dís after a hard day of chasing her boys around, but tonight it was full of fear and gloom. Every shadow seemed to jump out at her with outstretched hands, trying to trap her in everlasting darkness.

Dís found herself wandering towards her boys' room, and soon enough she was at their door. She quietly opened the door and looked in. No matter how distressed she was, her sons could always bring a smile to her face. Fíli was stretched across his bed, his limbs sticking up at odd and disconcerting angles. His blankets were strewn around his bed even though wasn't warm. Kíli on the other hand was curled up in a large blanket cocoon, only his head was visible.

Dís stepped into the room and put Fíli's blankets back on before kissing her eldest son's forehead. She made her way over to Kíli and chuckled quietly, stooping over to kiss his head as well. She stepped out into the hall before she woke them. Her fears had abated considerably while she saw that her boys were safe but back into dark hallway her thoughts and questions came back with full force.

First the dream had started off with memories of her husband and brothers; then it morphed into a hazy scene of her boys. They were grown men but still so young, they were riding away from her. She had felt their pain and fear but she could do nothing. The next part of the dream was what looked like a battlefield. Faces of dwarves she knew were gathered around three figures. Two were her grown sons lying still, covered in blood and gore; the third figure was partly hidden but Dís knew who it was. The dream always ended abruptly there and she didn't know if the figures were dead or just wounded.

She banished her thoughts and focused on her walking. This time she was walking towards the kitchen. After making a cup of tea to quiet her nerves, she sat at the table and sipped the hot beverage watching the steam curl out of the mug. Even if her dream one day became a reality, she was bent on protecting her family whatever the cost. They had all known so much sorrow and darkness over the past years that there had to be hope.

There was hope; her sons began each new day with innocence and wonder. They only saw the sunshine instead of the shadows and Dís found that they were teaching her a profound lesson.

After finishing her tea, Dís made her way back to her bedroom and lay down on her still semi-warm covers, remembering several precious moments spent with her sons and brother. She cherished those happy moments. Yes, she lived a wonderful life and nothing would stop her from enjoying her family.

She slowly closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep, her former dream and fears gone but not forgotten as light and hope filled her mind.

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**Again, please review. I'd love to know if this chapter was good bad or otherwise. Thanks again!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Here's the next chapter! It's a little sad, but I promise I'll get back to more dwarf mischief soon. Thank you to my readers, reviews, and followers; you make my day. (Shout outs to: dystini, and my ever-faithful reviewer, GregsMadHatter.) I hope you like this chapter and please review!**

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Chapter Eleven: Fading memories

Kíli was always good at discerning people's emotions, but it didn't take much to see that something was wrong with Fíli. Usually Fíli was always so guarded, like Thorin, and always buried his emotion so deep no one could tell something was wrong. So unlike Kíli who wore his heart on his sleeve, and was reckless enough to either gain the impossible or fall down hard. Kíli always had admired his brother's reserve and wished he could be that way.

Fíli had been so out of sorts lately, he barely ate anything and he was more than usually quiet. He had been sitting alone, not wanting any company, not even his little brother. That is what tipped Kíli off, they almost always got along, and Fíli not wanting to be near his brother hurt Kíli's feelings but it also spurred a desire to find out what was the matter.

Kíli vowed he would try once more and if he was sent away again then he would do something. He sighed, looking down at his toys; it was really boring when he didn't have Fíli to play with him. He got up and walked in the direction of their shared room; Fíli was probably there.

He pushed the slightly ajar door open and looked in; sure enough Fíli was sitting on his bed, his back to the door. Curtains covered the windows, making the room dark to match Fíli's mood. Kíli squeezed through the door and scrambled up Fíli's bed.

"What do you want, Kíli?" Fíli said, his voice a little rough.

"You not been happy, Fíwi, I wanna help you." Kíli sat down, looking at Fíli with a discerning eye.

"Go away, Kíli, I want to be alone." Fíli said, turning towards his brother for a minute. Kíli saw tears in his brother's eyes, but the words were what hit him the most. Soft as a whisper yet so powerful, and fully meant. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to talk to him again after all. Kíli looked down, trying not to cry, as he jumped off the bed and walked out the door.

Fíli saw the hurt in Kíli's dark eyes before he ducked his head. Why had he done that to his rambunctious little brother? He wanted to call out to him and tell him why he had been acting so oddly, but something stopped him. He just stayed where he was and let his brother's eyes haunt his mind.

Kíli made a hasty retreat when he out the door. Yes, something was definitely wrong with Fíli. He slowed his steps and wandered around, not knowing where to go or what to do.

Dís saw Kíli walk past the door and she called to him; he hesitantly came back, head bowed.

"Kíli, have you seen your brother? I've barely seen him these past few days." When he didn't reply, Dís said, "Son, is something wrong?" That was all the prompting he needed to run to his mother's arms, tears streaming down his face. She pulled her youngest son close and rubbed his back soothingly to calm him down, hoping to find out why both her sons were acting so oddly.

"Mum, Fíwi's acting strange an' when I tried talk to him, he sent me away. He said he wanna be alone. An' that make me sad because Fíwi never sends me 'way." Kíli said brokenly between sobs. His dark, unruly hair was sticking to his wet face.

Dís gently wiped away his tears and combed the stands of hair back, "My dear, Fíli has so much buried emotion, that he took it out on you. Don't cry, sunshine, let's get a cup of tea and then talk with your brother, alright?"

Kíli nodded, and Dís carried him into the kitchen where she made them both a cup of tea. When Kíli was calmed down enough, he led Dís to his and Fíli's bedroom.

Dís knocked on the door, before opening it, "Fíli, my dear? Kíli says there is something wrong, and I quite agree. You've been acting a little sad lately. Would you like to talk about it?"

Fíli shrugged and sniffed a little. "It's nothing."

Dís walked over and sat beside him, Kíli scrambled up to sit on her other side. "Well, it's got to be something if you are struggling with it. What's wrong?" She stroked her eldest son's hair gently.

"It's just that… I~ I can't remember Father's face anymore. I tried to remember what Father looked like, and what his voice sounded like but I can't remember. It's fading, my memory of him. I've been trying for the past few days to remember, but I can't and I feel like I am hurting his feelings by forgetting him." Fíli said quickly before his voice gave out and he wept.

"Oh, my dearie, all of us must face this struggle when someone we love is taken away from us." Dís said pulling Fíli close. "Would you like me to describe him to you?"

Both of her sons nodded, they had heard descriptions of their Father before, but Dís had been a little unwilling to talk about it. Kíli had never known his Father, so forgetting him wasn't really a problem, but he could feel Fíli's pain.

Dís sighed a little and began, "Your Father was a very kind and gentle man. He was always quick to laugh at anything, even himself. He had hair that shined like polished gold and eyes that were as green as the grass in summer. He was soft spoken, but could be stern when needed. He defended the people of Erebor and kept them safe even when he was in grave danger. He loved to spend evenings outside, gazing at the stars on a warm summers night. But most of all he loved his family very much. He loved you, Fíli, because you made him a father. Kíli, he loved you too even though he never had time to get to know you. He would be so proud of you two, and the men you will one day become. You mustn't be sad because you can't remember his face, just cherish the time you had with him. A wise person once said, 'If I die, mourn for awhile; but I would rather you forget me and be happy, than to remember and be sad.'"

Both dwarflings were quiet now as they thought about what their mother had said.

"Thank you, Mum." Fíli was finally able to say, "And I'm sorry I sent you away Kíli, that was wrong of me."

"That ok, Fíwi." Kíli replied, hopping over Dís to hug his brother. "That ok."

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**I ended it a little awkward but I hope it wasn't too bad. Thank you and please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here is the next chapter, everyone. I have been making a conscious effort to make the chapters longer, but I still have room to work on that. Thank you to all my readers, followers, and especially reviewers. I hope my dabbling keeps pleasing you. (Special shout outs to: KayBeth13, GregsMadHatter, Charlotte Oakenshield, AslanPrincess, and Nimrill Baggins!) I hope you like it!**

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Chapter Twelve: Important education

Dís had always thought time went by too fast. It seemed only a few days ago her little Kíli was still a babe in her arms, but now both her boys were growing rapidly. She wondered if she could make the most of the time she had with her two dwarflings before it was too late. Kíli was tall for regular dwarflings his age; he was even close to passing Fíli in height, but for now Fíli still held the lead. Dís was relieved when Kíli finally outgrew his slight lisp. Not that it was a bad thing, but there were some instances where his peers teased him harshly.

Now both Fíli and Kíli were at an age where they could learn responsibility. Thorin had talked with Dís about hiring a tutor and taking Fíli to the forge with him one day a week so he could learn the basics of forging. For Kíli, however, he was still too young to be in the forge with his brother. So Dís had been trying to keep him occupied and happy, hoping that Thorin would finally remember to ask a tutor to educate her boys

She had realized early on that Kíli had a different perspective of the world then the rest of them. He had insight where others could only see the plain and simple facts. He was more interested in detail than bulk, and saw things not for what they were but what they could become. He was reckless to say the least, but he always seemed to be in good humor.

Fíli on the other hand, was more reserved like Thorin. He was quiet, yet very kind. While other dwarf boys were rowdy and got into trouble, Fíli was the one who stopped the conflict with a gentle yet firm hand. He cared for his brother deeply, and kept him out of mischief. Once and awhile he would join Kíli in a prank, but what boy didn't?

Dís had all these things running through her mind in a wild cacophony as she watched her boys and they pretended they were in a great and magnificent battle. Mostly, Fíli was doing it just to please his younger brother, but a part of him still enjoyed making up a fantasy.

She heard Thorin enter thorough the front door and turned to see him enter the room. He looked exhausted but that didn't stop him from smiling a little when both boys went to greet him, their epic battle long forgotten.

"Uncle Thorin," Kíli smiled up at him a twinkle evident in his dark brown eyes, "today I climbed the big tree by our house and I got up on the roof and watched everyone walk by below on the streets." He then looked at Fíli pointedly, "Fíli wouldn't come up and join me till I bribed him, but it was so much fun."

Thorin glanced over at Dís who just smiled and shrugged. He then looked down at his nephews again, chuckling slightly. "I can tell you've had quite a day."

"Mmhmm." Kíli said distractedly, "Oh, and we rigged a fence around Mum's garden so that stray cat won't dig up any more vegetables. And~" Dís saw fit to interrupt him there before he ran out of breath and so Thorin could actually walk through the doorway.

"Dinner is ready." She said, putting a hand on Kíli's shoulder, "How about we all wash so your Uncle doesn't have to starve?"

Kíli nodded and took off at a run, his dark hair flying behind him. Fíli shook his head and gave an apologetic look to his Uncle and Mother before jogging off after his brother.

"Welcome home, Brother." Dís smiled and gave her brother a gentle hug, "Did you ask them to tutor Kíli and Fíli?"

Thorin nodded wearily, "Yes, Balin and Dwalin have both agreed to teach them." Then added anticipating his sister's next question, "I also told Dwalin that Kíli was still too young to start training in weapons."

Dís nodded gratefully as she walked with him to wash, "Thank you, Thorin. I'm sure the boys will do well in their education. By the way, maybe you should take a couple days off from work. You look exhausted."

"I might, but only one day. I can't provide for you if I'm not working."

Kíli and Fíli ran past them towards the kitchen. Dís chuckled and said, "We had better hurry, or those two will eat the entire meal without us."

As soon as Kíli related all there was to relate about his adventure-filled day and Fíli chipped in adventures of his own, Thorin began preparing what he would say to his nephews.

"Boys," he began and suddenly the two grins disappeared.

"Are we in trouble?" Kíli asked, afraid of what he had done that he didn't remember.

Thorin couldn't help but smile a little bit, "No, Kíli, neither of you are in trouble." The grins appeared once again, "Your Mother and I have been talking about your education. She has been teaching you to the best of her ability whilst trying to run a household, and she had done an excellent job, but we both think it's best to get help from others who would expand your education more than we both can give you."

Dís couldn't be silent anymore, "Thorin has hired tutors for you!"

Thorin glanced sideways at his sister; his whole speech had been climaxing to what she had just blurted out gleefully. "Yes, Mister Balin will be tutoring you both in mathematics, history, politics, and so on. Mister Dwalin will be training you, Fíli, with swords and other weapons."

Fíli and Kíli looked at each other, an excited sparkle was in both of their eyes. They were quiet only for a few seconds before they erupted into a volley of thanks and hopes for the future. Thorin and Dís shared a knowing smile.

"Now, boys, Balin will be tutoring you every day in the morning till noon or so, then Dwalin will come later in the afternoon every other day to teach you, Fíli. I want you both to be respectful and to try your very best, but most of all behave and enjoy this opportunity."

They both nodded enthusiastically, and Fíli said, "When do we start?"

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**There it is; I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and make my day! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Well, here it is, everyone. This one is a little short, as I was a little uninspired, but the next chapter promises to be good since it is about archery. I want to say thank you to all my lovely readers, I hope you will still enjoy my little dabblings (And yes, I just made up that word.) in the chapters to come. (Shout outs to: Ilovevolleyball, Tanith22, GregsMadHatter, LovelessShadows, MadelenIsabell, and Gnobisen1337!)**

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Chapter Thirteen: Things to come

Kíli huffed and crossed his arms, staring at the forest landscape below him. At least he could do what other's thought a dangerous pastime- climbing. He was high up in his favorite perch, and no doubt his mother was searching for him, but he didn't want to be found right now. He shifted his position a little, so his legs wouldn't fall asleep, and closed his eyes and let nature change his attitude a little. Whether he was angry or just having fun, this was his favorite tree to climb. Kíli didn't know what kind it was, but it was high up, had lots of branches and something about it just calmed him.

He always loved to see whether people would look up and see him or not, but he had come to realize people usually never looked up. Kíli wasn't one of the "usual" types though; he was more "unpredictable". He loved to look up at the clouds, stars, trees, whatever it was and ponder questions of life.

The peace of the forest, the warm sunshine and the gentle breeze ruffling his hair almost put him in a good mood, but when he opened his eyes he remember all to well why he was upset. Fíli was learning the art of weaponry in the training room with Mister Dwalin every other day, as Thorin had planned, without him. Whilst he had been trying his best at Mister Balin's subjects of mathematics, science, politics, history and other such things.

At first he didn't mind so much that Fíli was training without him, but now it bothered him. Why couldn't he join his brother? Yes, he was five years younger and a little taller and leaner than most boys his age but he was fast. Kíli was sure he could be just as good as Fíli if only given the chance. But both his Mother and Uncle forbid it, and Kíli was doomed to only study boring subjects for another five years.

It wasn't Fíli's fault, and Kíli knew it. Fíli remained a good brother still, he didn't boast about his new skills or anything like that; in fact, he rarely talked about his weapons training at all in front of his brother. Kíli was thankful for that. Did Dís and Thorin not trust him to be responsible? It was a fact that Kíli wasn't responsible, but he did try to be.

Kíli sighed and uncrossed his arms; his brother was a hard standard to live up to. Fíli was practically everything Kíli wasn't; their personalities were as different as their looks. Yet, their bond remained as intact and whole since the first day it was forged. He could hear Dís' calling him, she sounded worried and frustrated, and he knew he had better get home before she sent a search party after him. Kíli climbed down the braches till he was at a place where he could jump. His feet stung a little every time he jumped from a height taller than a table, but the view high above everything else was worth it. He landed, and took of running towards home.

When he came into view of his house, Dís was standing outside still calling him, threatening his meals if he didn't come inside right now. Worry melted off her face when he came running up, and was quickly replaced by annoyance.

"Where have you been? I've looked everywhere for you. What do you have to say for yourself?" Dís crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

Kíli scratched the back of his head, might as well tell the truth. "Sorry, Mum, I was up in a tree and I couldn't hear you."

Dís took him by the shoulder and walked with him indoors, as if he was going to run off again. "Why you insist on climbing up things is beyond me. One day you will fall and break something and wish you would have heeded your wise Mother's advice."

"I'm always careful, Mum, I won't break anything." Kíli said, knowing his Mother was teasing while trying to make a point. He paused for a minute debating on whether to say what he had been planning on. "Uh, Mum?"

"Yes, dearie?" Dís sat him down at the kitchen table and proceeded to get him a glass of tea. "What is it?"

Kíli swallowed hard, "Mum, could I please train with Fíli? I swear I would be really careful, and I would be a fast learner, and I would be just a good as Fíli, if you gave me a chance. I wouldn't be irresponsible; I would only make you proud. Please, Mum?"

Dís sighed, setting the cup down on the counter half full. She sat down across from her son and looked him in the eye, "Kíli, we aren't doing this to punish you in any way. Thorin and I both agree you are still too young to train with swords is all. I know you would try your best, and you already make me, and your Uncle, proud." Kíli bent his head and nodded. "Oh, my sweet Kíli, I know how it is to be left behind, watching others do things before you. Fíli had already, in fact, asked for you to train a little with him, but Thorin refused… Maybe if I ask your Uncle, you could train a little. Not swordplay, mind you, but knife throwing or some such. Would that suit you?"

Kíli brightened and gave her a hug, nodding happily. "Thank you, Mum!" He said before running off to do know knows what.

Dís sighed and shook her head; her youngest son could be so depressed one minute and cheerful the next. She hoped Thorin would agree and put Kíli in a better mood since he had been so out of sorts lately. Hopefully neither one of her lads would get injured in the coming months as they learned what was necessary to protect themselves and others in the future. With two boys learning to fight with weapons, their lives were about to get very interesting.

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**Thank you for reading! Please review if you have the time, I'd appreciate it. **


	15. Chapter 15

**I decided to do this chapter a few days early just because it seemed like a fun chapter and I was anxious to write it. Kíli's experience in this chapter is based off of my own archery lesson. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter thoroughly. (Shout outs to: Fuzzy-Kens, GregsMadHatter, Frodo's sister, and SunnyFeeling!) Frodo's sister, you had an excellent question. I have tried to avoid mentioning Kíli and Fíli's exact ages, because I am not adept at figuring out dwarf ages, but I imagine Kíli to be around seven or eight in the human equivalent, at this time in the story, and Fíli to be around twelve or thirteen. I hope that makes more sense. Sorry for the long author's note. Please enjoy!**

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Chapter Fourteen: Archery lesson

"Your mother tells me you want to join Fíli in weapons training, am I correct?" Thorin asked pacing in front of the training room door.

Kíli nodded; usually his Uncle didn't have this demeanor towards him. He had seen his Uncle act like this towards others, actually he only let his sentimental side show with his family, but now his rough side was to his nephew. Kíli was trying to appear bold and courageous, but he was afraid it wasn't working well. In fact, it wasn't working at all.

"Before we enter I must warn you Kíli, wielding a weapon is dangerous. You can destroy many lives with a swipe of your wrist. Being a brave warrior doesn't mean you have to be constantly strong, or win every battle. No, being a brave warrior is knowing when to give mercy, even when your enemy doesn't deserve it." Thorin stopped pacing and looked Kíli straight in the eye, "Are you sure you want to go down this road?"

Kíli nodded with a bit more resolve this time and Thorin inwardly smiled, Kíli would one day be a great warrior.

"There is one more thing I must say before we begin. Not all battles are won with swords, axes or halberds. More than one battle had been won with bows."

Kíli's face lit up a little, secretly he had been longing for a lesson in archery but he had always thought Thorin disapproved since that was the elves weapon of choice.

"I once was just like you, Kíli. I wanted to learn how to fight but I was too young to wield a sword. I took up archery and I was once very good at it. Although the elves use archery more than any other race, a bow can be used by all races. It takes a great deal of focus and patience to master archery. Are you ready to begin?"

Kíli nodded a third time. "Yes, Uncle I am ready."

Thorin grunted approvingly, and opened the training room door. Kíli remembered this place from when he and Fíli stole Thorin's key and snuck in here. The adventure ended in tragedy, and Kíli remembered the sickening crunch his toes made when a sword fell on his foot and broke them. The place looked almost the same from when he and Fíli came into the training room, except it looked a little more used, since Fíli was training with Dwalin every other day. Thorin had decided to train with Kíli on the days Fíli wasn't, to keep his young nephew focus on his craft.

An archery target was set up, and two bows and two quivers full of arrows were set out. Thorin walked straight towards the bows, and grabbed the larger one, saying.

"I will show you the stance, and how to shoot then I want you to try." Thorin grabbed an arrow and stood where Kíli could watch him, out of danger of being hit with a renegade arrow.

Kíli watched in amazement as Thorin took his stance and drew back the arrow a little past his lips. When he released the arrow flew straight to the bull's eye. Thorin was a little amused at his nephew's expression of awe and wonder and Thorin retrieved his arrow and grabbed Kíli's bow.

Kíli gladly accepted the weapon and Thorin took him to stand a little distance from the target.

"Now, stand sideways, and keep your feet a shoulder's width apart from each other. There you go." Thorin said positioning Kíli in the correct stance. He looked at Kíli with a critical eye and nodded. "Good. Now, put this on your hand." He gave Kíli a three-fingered glove that covered the first knuckle of his index, middle and ring fingers on his right hand.

Kíli flexed his hand experimentally and looked at the glove. "What is it for, Uncle?"

"Its for your fingers, when you get used to doing archery you may take it off it you wish, but those who aren't accustomed to archery should wear a glove so their fingers won't swell." Thorin handed Kíli the bow and made him pull it back once without the arrow, telling him where to draw back and how to hold his arm. Once he got it right, Thorin handed him an arrow and Kíli drew it back.

He never wanted something more in his life than to hit the target and make his Uncle proud. Even though he knew it would take a lot of practice and many years of honing his skill, he still hoped to at least hit the target. Thorin mumbled some tips and Kíli corrected himself accordingly. When he felt confident enough that his arrow would fly true, he released.

The arrow sped along, at a fair speed and hit the target with a muffled slam. It didn't hit the center or even the ring around the center, but he hit the target at least. Kíli couldn't help but smile, and hoped his Uncle was proud of his first shot. Thorin handed him another arrow, and Kíli shot again, it was roughly in the same spot as the other.

Kíli was handed arrow after arrow, he shot them all fairly well, and he was beginning to think himself doing extremely well. On the second to last arrow, Kíli forgot to not lock his left arm, and as soon as he shot the arrow a burning pain swept up from his forearm into his shoulder. Because he had jerked his arm from the pain, the arrow flew off in the wrong direction and hit a punching bag. Kíli stifled a cry of pain and rolled up his sleeve, already a purple bruise was beginning to show, and a faint red line where the bowstring hit him.

Thorin looked at Kíli's wound, he had done the same thing many times when he was a dwarfling. The bruising would go away in about a week or so depending on how bad he it, but it was nothing serious.

"Cockiness doesn't help your focus, Kíli." Thorin warned, after he had gotten some ice wrapped in a cloth for Kíli so he could tend to his bruise. "Archery is an art of patience and stamina, never forget that."

Kíli nodded, holding the ice to his arm for a few minutes before he was ready to begin again. At the end of their session, Kíli had done extremely well, and Thorin was proud of him. As they walked back to the kitchen, Kíli sweaty and sore, holding his injured arm awkwardly, said,

"Thank you, Uncle. I hope I can become such a talented archer as you are." He glanced up at his Uncle who smiled a little.

He had indeed done well, and Thorin had no doubt Kíli would become a magnificent archer in his coming years. "Come, Kíli, let's end to that arm properly."

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**There it is, Kíli's painful yet rewarding first archery lesson! I hope you found it entertaining, and please, review! **


	16. Chapter 16

**I put a little suspense in this chapter because I thought my story needed some excitement. I hope this chapter suits those of you who like a little angst. (Shout outs to: GregsMadHatter, TwinsConspiracy, TheLadyKnightofEdoras, BM originally, and Nimrill Baggins!) Thank you all for your lovely reviews, favorites and follows, I appreciate them all. Enjoy!**

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Chapter Fifteen: Surprise in the forest

"It's so hot…" Kíli said dragging out each syllable.

It was hot; it was the hottest spring Dís could remember. Her boys sat in the kitchen, faces tinged pink from the heat, with their feet bare and their sleeves rolled up to allow cool air to reach more of their skin. Except there wasn't any cool air to be had. Kíli was face down on the kitchen table, his limbs spread out in every direction. Fíli had his feet propped up on the table by his brother's head, even though Dís told him not to.

"I know, my dear, do you want me to get both a cold drink?" Dís asked, sipping on some tea with ice chunks in it.

Fíli nodded, and Kíli did the same- as well as he could with his face to the table. Dís soon came back with their drinks, and Kíli finally sat up, his dark hair sticking to his sweaty forehead.

"Thanks, Mum." They said in unison before sipping their drinks.

Dís looked out the window it was early afternoon. She would have to leave soon to help one of her friends who was ill and needed looking after. She would only be gone a few hours, and would probably be home before Thorin. Thankfully Balin had agreed to look in on the boys while she was gone, but Fíli was at an age where he could be responsible enough to watch his brother alone.

Kíli perked up suddenly and said, "Mum? Could Fíli and I go to the pond? We'd only be gone for awhile to cool off then we would be right back, please?" He gave her his pleading puppy dog eyes.

Dís sighed, going to the forest pond sounded lovely, but she had to do her duties first. "I can't watch you two, Kíli, I have to leave soon. Maybe when Mister Balin comes to check on you, he'll stay awhile and take you. Besides, young Kíli, I think you are too old for that expression of yours, don't you think?" She tapped his nose teasingly and Kíli smiled a little.

"It works on Uncle Thorin." He muttered rubbing his nose absentmindedly.

"We could go now, and when you leave you can call on Mister Balin and he could check on us at the pond and bring us back home." Fíli said, taking his feet off the table.

Dís rubbed her temples, what would she do with her two boys? "Alright. You can leave now, but be careful. Fíli watch out for your brother, and Kíli try to have fun without breaking anything."

The two boys smiled at each other and voiced their assurances as they said goodbye and went out the back door. Dís watched them out the window till they were out of sight, her boys were mischievous no doubt but she loved them in spite of their youthful scheming.

Kíli whistled a tune as he and Fíli walked barefoot through the field. Soon they came to the edge of the forest and the shadow of the large trees cooled them a little. They walked for a few minutes in companionable silence.

Kíli stopped at a base of a tree and said, "Hold on, I want to check on something." Before scampering up the tree with surprising quickness.

Fíli waited at the base of the tree and shouted up at him, "I don't see why you climb up to sickening heights for fun, brother. You could fall and break your neck one day and then were we be?"

Kíli popped his head out of the foliage with a grin, "You are sounding like Mum."

Fíli rolled his eyes as his brother's head popped back out of sight. "I should rename you squirrel, for your quickness of climbing, or sparrow for your love of heights."

He scrambled back down the branches and jumped the last few feet, landing on the ground with a muffled thump. "A bird decided to build a nest up there," he pointed to the treetops, "I wanted to see how it was going."

Fíli ruffled his brother's dark hair, saying, "Come along now, you're the one who wanted to go to this pool to cool off."

"I didn't hear you objecting." Kíli said with a cheeky grin before jogging off.

After a few more minutes of walking, they came to the forest pool. The scenery was always breathtaking, but Kíli didn't bother to look around, he tugged off his tunic and rolled up his trousers before wading into the cool water.

Fíli shook his head and did the same before joining his brother. Somehow, they both entered a water fight that neither one started- or so they both said. Minutes later, they both called a truce, after they both got each other soaking wet.

Kíli slicked back his wet hair and thought he heard an odd noise, but he shrugged when it didn't repeat. He glanced at Fíli who was trying not to chuckle, "What?" he asked, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"You looked like a drowned dog." Fíli said in good humor.

Kíli laughed and shook his head a couple times, to imitate a dog shaking its coat. "You look like…" He ran his fingers through his brother's golden hair, "a lovely maiden who happened to get caught in the rain."

Fíli shoved him a little, but laughed harder than his little brother. Then a sharp snap of a twig stopped their merriment, and they both listened intently, the birds had stopped chirping and more than done odd shuffling noise was heard. "We should leave now, brother." Fíli said softly. Kíli nodded as they both made their way back to the bank and grabbed their things.

Suddenly, Men stopped their retreat and looked down coldly at the two dwarflings. Kíli hid a little behind his elder brother and stared up at the men in awe. He had never seen a Man up close before.

"Well, well, what have we got here?" one of them said circling the two boys, "Two dwarf lads in the forest all alone." The man knelt in front of them and smiled cruelly. "Well, let's show them some hospitality."

Two men grabbed the boys around the waist and hefted them over their shoulders. Kíli struggled but the man who held him had a grip of iron. He realized it was no use, and he started to panic, Balin would be here to late to see where they went, and Dís would be at her friends house till later in the evening. Then he remembered the piece of silver his mother had fastened his hair with that morning; thankfully it hadn't fallen in the pond when he and Fíli were having their water fight. Nonchalantly, he reached up and loosened it, and when the men weren't looking, let it fall by the base of a tree.

Fíli and Kíli were carried off by the Men to goodness knows where. Fíli just hoped someone would save them soon

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Balin entered Dís' house and called the boys, but they didn't answer. They must already be at the forest pond. Rambunctious lads. Balin shook his head and walked through the field and forest, until he came to the pond, but all was silent, and he saw naught of the boys.

"Kíli, Fíli, this isn't funny." He said, "I've had enough of your pranks." Balin looked around but he could see no movement, and no muffled chuckles. Something was wrong. A piece of sunlight hit his eye and looked towards the base of a tree, Kíli's hair clasp was there. He picked it up and examined it, then looked around in the forest. He had to tell Thorin, and fast, little Kíli and Fíli might be in grave danger.

Balin usually didn't run as a rule, but he ran, out of the forest, through the field, and the town. He burst through the forge doors, out of breath, and face red.

Thorin came up and asked, "Balin, what's wrong?" Fear was in his friend's eyes and he felt growing panic.

Balin huffed and pointed back the way he had come, "It's Kíli and Fíli." He said between gasps of air, "I think they have been kidnapped."

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**I hope this story continues to make you smile! Thanks for reading, and please review.**


	17. Chapter 17

**I wrote out this chapter and realized I would need another chapter after this one to properly sort out the situation. So the angst continues! (Shout outs to: ilovevolleyball, PinguSuperSquee, Thousandmiles, GregsMadHatter, max-rose-clary, Sherlocked1994, and lauriethelemon!) To all my readers, reviewers, followers and such, I want to say thank you for reading my humble story, you all inspire me! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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Chapter Sixteen: Captives and schemes

Thorin stared at Balin who was huffing and puffing, his face as red as Smaug's scales. Balin had twigs and leaves and who knows what else stuck in his now un-groomed beard. His friend was also sweating like he'd worked in the forge for several days straight, but it wasn't his appearance that struck Thorin, it was the words he had said.

"Kidnapped, are you sure?" Thorin asked, trying to squelch the growing anxiety that found it's way into his heart.

Balin nodded, eyes wide. "Dís said they were going to the forest pool and that I should check up on them there and take them home. When I got there, I couldn't see them. They weren't hiding or playing a prank. They were gone. I found this." He drew out Kíli's hair fastener and handed it to Thorin, "Young Kíli's. I found it by the bank of the pond. Nothing else was there."

Thorin nodded and looked at the clip, it indeed was Kili's and if something had happened to them, they needed to move. He looked up and nodded towards the nearest dwarf in the forge who had gathered around to hear Balin's story. "You there, run as fast as you can, gather a dozen dwarves. In those that you summon I want Dwalin and Bifur and Nori. Make sure they bring weapons. I want them here in ten minutes. Go!"

The dwarf ran off to do as he said, and Thorin left the forge with Balin by his side at a jog to get weapons for himself. Only limited options could have befallen his nephews. One: they could have drowned in the lake. Two: they were playing an elaborate prank. Three: someone took them.

He considered his options. Kíli and Fíli knew better than to prank at such a serious thing as this, they might enjoy joking around at someone's expense but they weren't idiots. Rambunctious, yes; idiots, no. That one wasn't an option then.

Next option, drowning. He imagined Kíli and Fíli's dead bodies floating face down in the pond, being pulled to shore; hair askew, skin ashen, faces showing fear even in death…

No, Thorin wouldn't allow himself to think like that. When life had just begun to get better, he wouldn't stand for his two bright-eyed nephews to be taken away from him and Dís. They had already lost so much in their life times, and if he lost his little Fíli and Kíli he wouldn't know what to do with his life. Dís would still need his help, though, and could lose her sanity from grief of her dead sons. No matter how bad things got, he would still provide for her. That was something to do at least, but there would be no joy.

Fíli had just begun his training and had been doing splendidly, and little Kíli had showed much promise in archery. Had been doing? Had showed? Thorin was already using the past tense in referring to his nephews. He corrected himself. Fíli was doing splendidly, and Kíli was showing promise. They were alive; he had to believe they were alive. He banished all other doubts from his mind, and created "They are alive, they have to be alive." As a mantra he said over and over again in his mind.

The only other option logical option that Thorin allowed himself to think of was that someone took his nephews, for whatever reason. That had to be it. Someone had taken his nephews, for whatever reason, and held them captive. Maybe for a ransom, he didn't know. He only knew whoever had taken his nephews was about to meet their greatest nightmare.

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Fíli sneezed and wished he could sweep back his damp hair fro his face. He and Kíli were at the Men's campsite and he didn't know where they were. Unfortunately the Men blindfolded them both, a few minutes after walking with them slung over their shoulders like a sack of potatoes. Fíli tried to remember the turns and twists they had taken, but failed at recalling them all. Thankfully the Men hadn't hurt them yet, if they were going to at all. They might be held there for ransom.

He and Kíli's hands were tied behind their back, and their ankles were tied together also. In hushed tones Kíli had told him about how he had unfastened his hair clip and let it fall out of the way of the Men before they left the bank of the pond. Fíli congratulated his witty brother and hoped his Uncle Thorin or Balin would find it, and in turn find them.

From overhearing the Men's conversation, they seemed to be a group of thieves who wandered from place to place and plundered what they could. Apparently they usually didn't keep captives, since they were amateurs on how to blindfold and how to tie a knot properly without hurting the captive. That was supposed to give Fíli a little comfort that they were inexperienced, but it made him shudder. Live captives were very different from dead ones, and he guessed they dealt with dead ones more.

Kíli shivered and shifted a little, so his hands wouldn't lose blood circulation. He looked at his brother, his dark eyes betraying both defiance and fear. "Fíli, are we going to leave soon?"

Fíli wished he reassure his brother with confidence, but he was getting worried himself. "Sure, Kíli, we'll leave soon. I bet if you had your bow on you, you could have already killed all these men a hundred times over." He was hoping to distract his brother with his newest obsession.

Kíli smiled, recalling his favorite sport. "Yeah, well, I'm not that good yet, but I could have probably injured a few." He bent his head to rub his nose with his bare shoulder. "If you had your swords you could have taken them all down."

Fíli smiled, "Or if you were up in a tree and had your bow and arrows, and I was on the ground, you could have shot them all while they were busy with me."

That was how they spent the next few minutes, formulating strategies on what they would have done if they had known they were going to be attacked. The leader of the Men shushed them, and threatened to gag them if they didn't be quiet. They stayed quiet... for about two minutes before continuing the conversation in whispers. Fíli was thankful it drew his brother's mind from their present predicament, at least for a few moments.

* * *

Thorin waited till all half a dozen dwarves had gathered outside of the forge. Surprisingly, it hadn't taken long for the men to assemble, under ten minutes. His people had a willingness to help others in need, and he was grateful for that. If only certain elves had that virtue all those years ago when Smaug attacked Erebor. He tried to recall a few names of the men that had gathered. There was Dwalin, Bifur, and Nori as he had requested, there was also a dwarf that had a floppy hat, whom Thorin remembered as the toy maker who Fíli used to love to visit in his shop. Balin was also there, and Oin, the healer and his red haired brother Gloin. The rest looked unfamiliar.

He quickly told them the situation with his nephews and they all agreed to help. He and the men started off hurriedly towards the forest. Time to find his young nephews.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it; the third part should be posted soon. Please review and make me smile!**


	18. Chapter 18

**This is the last installment of my three-part chapter. I hope you find the conclusion clear and enjoyable. (Shout-outs to: GregsMadHatter, 1monster2, Sasha Snape, ilovevolleyball, Lyra Isabella Black, Nimrill Baggins, and a lovely Guest reviewer!) This was extremely fun to write and I hope my little dabblings do justice to the real Hobbit book and movie. Thank you all for reading! Please enjoy!**

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Chapter Seventeen: Relief and rescue

Thorin hurried through the streets of their small village, with dwarves at his side. Unfortunately, the forge was across town from Dís' house, which meant more time spent just getting to the place where Balin had said Kili's hair fastener had been. Thankfully Balin had a head for direction, and would direct their path as quickly as possible, without leading them astray. Thorin was thankful for that.

He looked over at the silent dwarf to his left and wondered why he had chosen Nori to come with them. Thorin shrugged, he knew why, Nori wasn't one of the more savory characters, but he knew how to track and how to find lost things. More importantly he knew how to stay quiet in the shadows, stealth maybe a huge factor in finding his nephews.

They passed the last houses of the town and entered the field that bordered Dís' house. The day was undoubtedly hot, and was even more so in the meadow, but they would soon reach the forest and it would be a little cooler. Thorin fingered the little piece of silver Balin had handed him unconsciously. He would find his nephews, he was sure of it.

* * *

Fíli was more bored than scared now, the Men hadn't injured them, other than accidentally tying he and Kíli's ropes too tight, and the minutes ticked away like an eternity. He could tell Kíli was bored also; his dark-haired brother had his head against a trunk of a tree looking up at the tree canopy probably counting the leaves till that bored him as well.

Something that conquered Fíli's boredom were two questions. One: why had these Men taken them, and two: when would someone come and find them. The conversation between he and Kíli of what they would have done, died out a long time ago. It was a long time ago wasn't it? It felt like hours but it could have only been five minutes.

Fíli sighed and shifted into another uncomfortable position. Kíli looked at his brother oddly, and shrugged. He was bored, and he hadn't sat still this long since… he didn't even remember when. Kíli's body ached to move, to stretch, to do something; but he was tied up like a convict and sitting at the base of a tree.

Kíli decided to study the thieves' camp to appease his boredom, and if they needed an escape route, he'd know where to go. There were a little less than two-dozen Men that lived in the camp. Their tents and things were scattered around in a totally un-tidy way, which would make it hard for them dodge things in their escape, if they escaped.

Kíli thought of his Mum and imagined what she would say if she saw their campsite. He smiled ruefully and wondered if he would ever see her again. He wanted to do so many things that would make her proud; and say many of the things that he had forgotten to say. He also thought of his Uncle, what would he say when he found out he and Fíli were missing? Would he break down in emotion or continue on with life? Kíli hoped that his Uncle would never have to make that decision.

* * *

Sure enough, Balin had led them to the right place. The forest pool was serene and undisturbed before them, seemingly unaware of the dwarves' anxiety. A few birds chirped boldly, breaking the silence of the forest.

"It was right here," Balin said going over to a base of a tree and pointing. "I was standing right here, calling for them, thinking it was a prank until I found little Kíli's silver piece right here. As much as he doesn't like his hair fixed, I knew he wouldn't leave it behind unless it was dire situation."

Thorin nodded, barely focusing on Balin's words, he was too busy staring at the dark waters of the pond.

Bofur, the toy maker, volunteered to dive in and look for the lads, he set aside his floppy hat and went into the water. He immerged a minute later, soaked but reported that no bodies were in the pond.

Thorin breathed a small sigh of relief; his greatest fear was now not an option.

"Could they have gotten lost in the forest?" asked a dwarf Thorin didn't know the name of.

"Course not!" Dwalin said, "Those lads may be young but they aren't thick-headed. Fíli and Kíli know the way back to their house." Dwalin shot the dwarf a hard stare, how dare he insult the cleverness of Thorin Oakenshield's nephews!

Nori came back to the group, and Thorin realized he never even noticed he had gone. "There are tracks around this area. Large prints, too large for any dwarf, they intersect two small prints right there." Nori pointed to the spot, as if the tracks were as easy to see as an oliphant. "I've heard rumors of a traveling band of thieves and escaped prisoners who deal in slave trading. I thought they were further away than they were. My apologies Thorin Oakenshield."

Thorin nodded, a new fear driving away in his mind. Slavery was living torture, dead almost seemed a better option. "No one could have foreseen this, Nori, it is not your fault. Please, lead the way."

Nori nodded and took the lead, following the slight indentations on the forest floor. Thorin hoped they would catch up to them in time.

* * *

Fíli now had all his courage, and was ready to ask some questions. He debated with Kíli first to make sure that was the right decision before speaking up.

"What do you want with us?" he asked, thankful that his voice didn't sound so much like a child's.

The man whom Fíli assumed was the leader turned from his task and walked over to the dwarflings. "No need to worry yourself about it, little dwarfling." The Man crouched beside them so he was more their height, and smiled wryly. "We wouldn't want you to worry. We won't hurt you…yet. We'll spend the night here then start traveling tomorrow. There are some people who pay a lot of money for you two."

Fíli's mind was racing, with questions and rising panic; the Man had let them know offhandedly what they were planning to do to them. Being sold into slavery wasn't something Fíli wanted to do. He glanced over at his brother; Kíli was staring at the man in disbelief and no small amount of fear.

The Man smiled a little bit more as he saw the reaction of the brothers, "You both are young and have many years before you. In addition to your young strength, you both have fair faces. Yes, people would pay a lot of money for you two."

Kíli was afraid to say the least, but the thought of being separated from his family in exchange for living torment made his temper flare. "You will not be selling us to the highest bidder. I will kill you before I see anything done to my brother, you thieving swine."

Fíli looked over at his brother in surprise, he had never heard his brother speak like that before. What was even more frightening was that Kíli meant every word as well, and his tone was foreboding.

The Man looked at the dark-haired dwarfling in astonishment, and then narrowed his eyes at Kíli as he grabbed the dwarfling's face and brought it close. "Listen here…"

That was as far as he got, Kíli bit the Man's hand while simultaneously kicking him with his tied legs. The Man cried out in surprise, and stood, holding Kíli in a chokehold. "Maybe we only need one to sell." He said as he unsheathed a dagger and brought it to Kíli's throat.

Fíli looked up at the Man in horror, shrieking, "Kíli!"

* * *

Thorin and his group of dwarves had been watching the interaction for a few minutes, wondering when to strike, when one of the Men suddenly grabbed Kíli and brought a knife to his throat. His men needed no order; they all rushed in at the same time and caught the Men by surprise.

Fíli saw the moments in slow motion, first Kíli being threatened then his Uncle and a group of dwarves rushing through the camp yelling a battle cries. Then things began to speed up, the attack on the Men, the dwarves claiming victory. He watched it all in a dream-like stupor. He shook his head to clear his mind, some of the dwarves went to chase after the fleeing cowards, and they were safe at last. He looked at Kíli, who was smiling lopsidedly; he barely believed what was going on as well.

Thorin made sure all the Men except the fleeing ones had been captured before he rushed over to his nephews and unbound their wrists and ankles. He drew them both into a strong hug and said nothing for a while other than their names.

Kíli hugged his Uncle tight, thankful that they had been rescued and that he and Fíli were both alive. He knew it was a very un-warrior like thing to do, but with relief and pent up fear, tears began to stream down his face.

Thorin drew back, and looked at his two nephews, alive and mostly well. He saw they both had tears to match his own. They needed no words, or reassurances of each other's safety, they were all together and they would be all right.

Thorin smiled a little and hefted his two nephews into his arms, "Let's go home."

* * *

**There it is! I hoped you liked how it ended. If you have any ideas for more Kíli Fíli angst, please let me know! Thank you for reading and please review! **


	19. Chapter 19

**I am privileged to have gotten so many kind reviews, follows and favorites for the last chapter! Thank you all! This chapter was a little difficult to write, but I hope it meets your expectations. One of my lovely Guest reviewers suggested Kíli and Fíli getting into trouble and Thorin having to deal with it, so this chapter is for you, my Guest reviewer! (Extra-special shout outs to: 1monster2, StrawberriCat, ilovevolleyball, TheCagedBirdie, Nimrill Baggins, GregsMadHatter, t4goodro, KyoKurai, Cat, Aranel Mereneth, and several Guests!) Thank you all so much for your support and kindness!**

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Chapter Eighteen: Troublemaking

Dís shook her head as she watched her two boys. They were running around the house doing who knows what, but as long as they were having a good time and not getting into mischief, she didn't mind what they did to busy themselves. Their terrifying venture in the woods was a week past, and her boys were almost back to normal. Kíli was a little bit more pensive than usual, and seemed to grow up a little once he returned, but he was still his usually cheery self. Fíli was even quieter than before, if that was possible, but that was wearing off and his charming smile was coming back.

They both seemed to understand death more clearly, and both began to appreciate life and the time they lived. They were still rambunctious as ever, to be sure, but they enjoyed every minute they lived. Dís was somewhat saddened that her boys had to experience that at such a young age, and that they had been grown up a little prematurely.

She was forever indebted to Thorin for bringing them back safely. She was also thankful he hadn't killed any of the men in front of her boys, they were still too young, and it probably would have scarred them throughout their days. Although they were learning the art of weaponry she didn't want them to dwell on death, though she didn't doubt they would see enough of that, as they got older.

Thorin had attended the trial of the slave traders and had later told Dís about it. After gathering sufficient evidence that the Men had committed murder, dealt in slave trading, and many other heinous crimes, they were found guilty and executed. Needless to say, Dís and her boys did not attend that trial, and stayed at home.

Kíli had noticed her pondering and ran up, a little out of breath from his endeavors but smiling nonetheless. He stopped right in front of her and looked up at her quizzically saying, "Mum, are you all right?"

Dís smiled at him and patted down his wild hair. "Yes, my sweet Kíli, I am just thinking."

Fíli walked up and put his hands on his brother's shoulders, wondering if his Mum as all right as well. He was silent but Dís could see he was questioning her with his eyes, as if searching her soul from the truth.

Kíli bobbed his head, "Oh. Are you sure?" He heard Fíli chuckle behind him, and knew his brother was thinking about his sometimes annoying persistence.

Dís' eyes seemed to show a little sadness as she kissed both of her sons on the forehead. "Yes, my dears. I am fine, but I thank you for your concern. Go back to your activity."

Kíli smiled and started to run off but stopped skidding on the floor, and turned around to give his Mum a quick peck on the cheek before resuming his run. Fíli shook his head and kissed her as well before smiling at her and walking off to find his brother.

Dís was only too grateful to have her sons alive and well, from what Thorin had briefly described, Kíli was about to be killed and Fíli would have served as a slave when the Men handed him off to the highest bidder. Yes, she was a very blessed woman to have her family.

Fíli strolled off to find his brother, and wondered where in the realm of sweet Middle-Earth he had run off to this time. After a few minutes of searching he found Kíli in their room, his eyes twinkling as he began to form a plan, a plan that would probably get them in trouble.

"I know that look." Fíli said, standing over his brother. "You are about to propose a scheme that is probably not a good idea in the long run."

Kíli smiled at his brother cheekily, "Who knows? Maybe it isn't a good idea at all. I was just thinking…" here he stopped because he knew Fíli would chuckle and say something as he usually did.

Fíli rubbed his temple, smiling indulgently, "Thinking? When you start thinking, brother, there is sure to be trouble ahead. Go on."

"You know that cool dagger that Uncle has in his room? I've always wanted to take a closer look at it, but I've never gotten the chance. Do you know which I am referring to?"

Fíli nodded, it was a solid gold one, embedded with jewels on the hilt. Thorin had acquired it when he lived in Erebor. It was a dagger more for show rather than usefulness, but somehow it was extremely sharp. "Yes, I know the one."

Kíli smiled, a mischievous twinkle coming into his dark brown eyes again. "Do you think perhaps Uncle would mind if we looked at it for a few minutes then put it right back?"

"Probably, but once you have an idea in your head it won't leave. We will only look at it for a few minutes before putting it back. All right?"

Kíli nodded enthusiastically and ran out of their door. Fíli followed with a bit more decorum. He swore to himself, teasingly, that his reckless brother would be the death of him.

Kíli waited for him by Thorin's bedchamber and opened the thick wooden door once he had arrived. The smell of pipe smoke, and the forge wafted towards them as they entered Thorin's room. Fíli looked at the walls and remembered he and Kíli had snuck in here many times, but the most memorable was when the stole the key to the training center. Fíli shook his head; that had been a bad day.

Kíli was already over at the nightstand, reaching for the gold dagger. He examined it closely and lightly ran his fingertip over the blade. Yes, it was still extremely sharp. He held it up to the window and looked at the jewels embedded in the hilt. This one relic probably cost a lot.

As much as Fíli hated to admit it, he had the same curiosity as his brother. He always longed to look at it. Kíli seemed to have held it for over five minutes and Fíli was getting impatient. "Come on, Kíli," he said a little sternly, "Put it down and let me have a turn."

Kíli frowned and shook his head no, after every prompting from his brother. Fíli tried to snatch it from Kíli's hand, and Kíli drew back his hand so quickly the knife left this grip and went spinning through the air. The brothers watched the knife in horror, as it seemed to go in slow motion.

It sliced through the air with a distinctive swish and hit the wall, slashing through a tapestry, leaving a six-inch gap. Kíli looked at his brother, both of their faces showing the same expression of shock and fear.

"Uncle is going to kill us." Fíli stated as they ran out of the room and into the safety of their own.

Kíli nodded and ran his fingers through his hair, pacing the room. "What are we going to do? I can't sew to save my life, and you can a little but it's not perfect like Mum's stitching."

Fíli sat down on his bed and felt a tight knot beginning to twist in his stomach. "We'll have to tell Uncle and apologize."

Kíli turned towards him in horror, and then sat down next to his brother, "I sealed our doom."

When Thorin came home from a long day at the forge, he could tell something was wrong with his nephews, their faces were pale and they kept giving each other worried glances. He had barely gotten in the door and sat down before Kíli cried, saying.

"We didn't mean to do it!" Of course, they had planned to tell him after supper but Kili's guilty mind over exaggerated the circumstances and believed Thorin already knew and was keeping them in suspense of their punishment.

Thorin looked at his nephews in hidden surprise as they admitted going into his room and handling his golden dagger and accidentally cutting a tapestry. He glanced at Dís; she shrugged her shoulders, and sighed a little as her sons looked worriedly from one face to the other.

"Kíli, Fíli, go to your room. Dís and I need to discuss what shall be done." He said guarding his tone.

The boys left them, hanging their heads in shame and remorsefulness, and went obediently to their room.

Thorin came in a few minutes later and took them both over his knee, holding back tears of his own as his nephews stifled crying out in pain. He sat by the dwarflings and their tears fell, and their breath catching everyone and awhile in their sobs.

"We are really sorry, Uncle." Kíli managed to say wiping his face with the back of his hand.

Thorin pulled his nephews close and said, "I know, Kíli. I hate punishing you as much as you hate being punished, but you must learn respect for other people's things and it is a hard lesson to learn. Dís and I will still love you even though you two get into immense trouble."

They both nodded, tears beginning to fall less frequently and said in unison, "I love you too, Uncle."

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**And there it is! I hope it made you smile! If you have any more suggestions to bring me out of my partial writer's block I would be grateful. Thank you all so much and please review! **


	20. Chapter 20

**So many kind and encouraging reviews! You all are going to spoil me. And the suggestions! I have ideas galore! Thank you all. I took the idea of PinguSuperSquee, so this chapter is for you. The next chapter will be a continuation in which I will attempt to write out GregsMadHatter's suggestion. (Shout outs to: PinguSuperSquee, Sasha Snape, GregsMadHatter, Cat, ScaredyDog, andreanpufnock, and bonrob!) I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

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Chapter Nineteen: Hunting

"Brother, you need to stop work for a few days, take a respite. You'll work yourself to death." Dís said, standing in from of her elder, yet stubborn, brother. He had gotten home late from the forge and her two sons were already in bed. For the past two weeks he had gotten home later and later till, finally Dís decided to confront him about over working himself.

"I am well, sister, I swear." Thorin said, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed. If his eyes were open, his sister would see blood-shot eyes. He had been over working himself, he knew this, but he was behind in his work and he needed to finish the orders and bring in his earnings for his sister and his nephews.

"No, you aren't." Dís said, tapping her foot on the wooden floor, "You need to take a break. Either you will stay here, or you will go off hunting and relax for a few days. No other options." She stared hard at her brother's tired and unresponsive face. She could be stubborn when she wanted to be, and in this matter she would not back down.

"Dís, I would love to take a few days off, but I need to help you and your sons." Thorin said, opening his eyes. He knew exactly what expression she had on her face even before he opened his eyes.

An idea popped into Dís' mind that might just work. She hid her mischievous smile and cleared her throat. "How about you take the boys with you? You three could go hunting. They boys would love it, and I could finally have a chance to give the house a good cleaning without being interrupted. Kíli would love it, and so would Fíli."

Thorin looked at his sister skeptically, "Are you sure?"

Dís nodded enthusiastically, "Yes. You can leave in two days. On the morrow I will pack the provisions you need and you can rest a day before you start on your journey." She smiled and leaned down to give her brother an awkward hug. "Now, get your sleep, you'll need all your energy to run after Kíli and Fíli." She smiled again and walked down the hall towards her room.

Thorin sighed and rubbed his temples, what did he just willingly agree to?

Two days later, the day was still dark, but getting brighter with each passing moment. It was early in the morning, and the air was clear and fresh from the rain in the night. Kíli and Fíli were bubbling over with exuberance at the idea of a hunting trip with their Uncle. The next few days held the promise of adventures, fun, and perhaps danger if they were lucky.

Dís was on the doorstep waiting to bid them goodbye. She was still in her nightclothes and had a blanket wrapped around her to ward off the chill air of early morning. She bent over to give both her boys a kiss on the forehead before they embarked, and gave her brother a grateful nod.

"Farewell, my sons, may luck travel with you in your journeys. Try to behave for your Uncle, and remember this trip is to help him rest." She emphasized the last word before turning to Thorin, "Farwell, brother. Thank you for agreeing to this." Then added quietly so only he could hear, "Please keep them safe."

Thorin nodded solemnly and raised a hand in greeting as they set out and walked into the brightening darkness.

"Good bye, Mum!" Kíli called and smiled at the figure on the porch before turning his face to the horizon.

"Brother, if it is your intent to wake the town before dawn, you might have several unhappy citizens on your hands." Fíli said, shaking his head and smiling at his dark haired brother.

Kíli rolled his eyes and shoved Fíli before hefting his pack higher. "So, Uncle, what do we do exactly on a hunting trip?"

Thorin bit back a chuckle; he always thought the reference explained itself. "We hunt, Kíli. We spend a few days in the forest and hunt the creatures there to bring back meat for us, and pelts to either sell or keep."

Kíli nodded then furrowed his brows, "Uncle, if the forest is that way," he pointed behind him, "then why are we going this way?"

"I rented a pony," Thorin replied, "you wouldn't want to carry back all the animals we hunt yourself, would you?"

Both his nephews grimaced, and said, "No." in unison.

After they collected the rented pony from a yawning stable master, they made a short cut to the woods and enjoyed seeing the forest come to life as dawn arrived. Birds were chirping contentedly in the treetops, more twittering voices joining to the others as they were awakened. Their boots crunched on the dead leaves and seemed to make no sound at all in some places where the forest floor was covered in pine needles. The smell of pine mixed with scent of clean air, and the unmistakable odor of horse.

Kíli practically skipped along, enjoying the forest and all its sights and sounds, Fíli was just as content as his brother but at the back of his mind he remembered the event in the woods with the slave traders. The memory put him a little ill at ease, the tall burly men with their rusted weapons, the disorder of their forest camp, the way that Man looked when he was about to kill Kíli before Thorin intervened, the way Kíli had threateningly spoke about killing them all. Fíli shook his head and pushed the thought away, he would enjoy the moments he was living in.

At noon they took a break by a river and ate some provisions and rested a while before attempting to cross the river. Thorin chose a shallow place to cross but the swift current and the slippery riverbed might provide a problem. Thorin instructed the boys to take off their boots and lace them together and put them around their necks. Then, once they had done so, they cautiously stepped into the river, Thorin leading the way.

"Go slow and keep steadily on your feet," Thorin said, glancing behind at his nephews, "if you get dizzy by looking at the current, stop and wait till your head clears."

Kíli and Fíli were doing as instructed, and Fíli kept a hand on his brother's shoulder just in case. The current was up to both boys' knees, but they crossed without much difficulty and made it to the other side of the riverbank.

For the rest of the day they set up traps and waited for an animal to meander by. Thorin realized that his usually fidgety nephews, especially Kíli, became stock still when they were hunting, and he was proud of them for their patience and endurance on this venture.

Just before it got dark, two rabbits became victims of their traps and they now had fresh meat to cook over the fire. They set their packs down and let the horse graze in a small grassy clearing, and with weariness they watched their small fire blaze as they gratefully ate their cooked meat with a bit of bread from their packs.

They talked and laughed over the day's events and past events, and enjoyed each other's company in the forebodingly dark forest around them. Right before they all drifted to sleep, Kíli sat up quickly and listened with a smile on his face.

"I hear music," he said and stood up. Thorin and Fíli followed, not hearing the elusive music till they walked a few yards after the dark haired dwarfling. Kíli stopped and cleared away the tall foliage, getting a good view of the sight he never in his wildest dreams expected to see. There were elves; elves, sitting around a campfire playing slender instruments. Kíli's mouth dropped open and he stared at the odd beings. Thorin and Fíli caught up with him in a few seconds and were both about to say something till they looked at Kíli was staring at, jaw slack.

Thorin scowled and wondered if Kíli was awed by them or just staring at them out of curiosity. Fíli kept his face impassive but examined the elves intensely. There were half a dozen elves, some maidens, and some men, laughing and enjoying the night as well.

"What are they doing, Uncle?" Kíli asked quietly, he understood why his Uncle hated the elves, but he thought them very fair and gentle looking folk.

"They are traveling, like we are, Kíli." Thorin replied, putting a hand on both of his nephew's shoulders. "Come, let us leave them to their merriment, and let us get some rest for tomorrow."

They reluctantly followed their Uncle back to their campsite and spoke normally. Kíli was looking up at the stars and the owls that were flying overhead.

"Where were they going, Uncle?" he asked, glancing at Thorin who looked a little upset.

"They are probably going to the Undying Lands, Kíli, now go to sleep." Thorin replied, stoking the fire.

Kíli bit back the next question and stole a glance at his brother. He could tell Fíli felt the same way about the elves as he did. The elves of Mirkwood hadn't assisted their people in dire need when Smaug had taken Erebor, and that was why Thorin did not like elves at all. Kíli wished he could see more elves in the future, and perhaps have an adventure involving them, but weariness came over him and right before he drifted off to sleep, he heard Fíli say in a whisper,

"Good night, Kíli. May you dream of shooting rabbits and watching elves till you awake."

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**There it is! This chapter was really fun for me, and I hope it was fun to read. Your suggestions and ideas are much appreciated, so if you have an idea, please tell me! Thank you all so much for reading and please review and tell me how I'm doing!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Everyone, you all are amazing! Your thoughtful reviews and kindness are appreciated very much, and I am extremely thankful! I would love to hear your ideas, I can't promise that I'll do them but I will try my best! GregsMadHatter, this chapter is for you, I hope you enjoy it! (Shout outs to: T4goodro, GregsMadHatter, PinguSuperSquee, 1monster2, Ailidh Caer, ilovevolleyball, and Guests!) Thank you all so much for reading I am very blessed to have such a lovely group of people enjoying my dabblings.**

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Chapter Twenty: Bravery

When Kíli awoke he looked up at the brightening sky, turning from a rosy pink into a pale gold. It was early in the morning, but not as early as the days before. They had spent several successful days hunting and enjoying the wildlife and each other. Thorin seemed to have because a younger man, the years seemed to melt off of him as he taught them how to set a trap and how to skin and gut animals. It was like seeing someone starting to remember the happy days of their childhood and start to think the world wasn't all bad after all.

Much to Kíli and Fíli's disappointment, they hadn't seen the elves again, and they both guessed the elves had moved on, continuing their journey to the Undying Lands. The boys had heard vague references to that land and the journey the elves made, but they knew no sure facts; partly because their people harbored a deep dislike and contempt for all elven kind and rarely talked about them.

Kíli thought it a shame that hatred was still kindled against the elves even after all this time had passed since Erebor. What things could they learn from the elves? How would Middle-Earth change if hatred didn't separate races from other races? He had pondered that over the dark nights in the forest as he watched the stars and listened to the sounds on the forest. He and Fíli both wanted to one day be dwarves capable to forgive the elves and perhaps forge a friendship with them, but for now they could barely see past their hunting trip let alone what would happen in the years of their life.

Their Uncle had talked about Erebor so many times, and the events that had occurred that, yes they did feel a little anger towards the elves for not helping their people in their time of need. But if one did not forgive and forget, pride and disdain would eat you alive.

Kíli shook his head of these deep thoughts and sat up, Fíli was already awake and kneeling next to a small fire he had presumably started. The tendrils of smoke wafted through the air, twirling and twisting as they rose to the sky, to be lost against the dark treetops.

"Good morning, Brother." Fíli said cheerfully as he prodded the fire. "I trust you slept well since you were snoring all night."

Kíli shrugged and slid over to the fire and his brother, "I did, as well as expected from sleeping on the forest floor." He rubbed his eyes with the inside of his wrist, "I was snoring? I never snore."

Fíli rolled his eyes good-naturedly and grunted, "Between you and Uncle, it's a wonder I can sleep at all." He paused thoughtfully and added, "Just don't tell Uncle that."

Kíli chuckled and smiled at his golden-haired brother, "Of course not. I don't have a death wish."

They both laughed a little and Kíli looked around, "Where is Uncle by the way?"

Fíli shrugged, "I think he went off to get breakfast. That's why I started the fire. We are heading back home today. It will take us a few days, but we don't want to worry Mum too much, do we?"

Kíli barely heard the latter part of his brother's sentence. Fíli had misgivings about the forest at first, but had conquered them, now Kíli felt some fear rising up in him. Thorin was off who knows where and he and Fíli were left alone, last time they were alone wasn't a good day at all. Kíli shrugged off the sense of something wrong about to happen and took a little comfort in the fact that he and Fíli both had their weapons with them.

Fíli could feel the panic rise in his brother, and knew exactly what he was thinking. He noted Kíli was unconsciously fingering the fletching on his arrows beside him. He wondered if his brother would ever feel comfortable alone in the forest again, Fíli knew he probably wouldn't but then again he never spent much time in the forest anyway.

Kíli shook his head and smiled genuinely, today wasn't a day to dwell on the past. He breathed in the smoke from the fire and enjoyed the tangy burn scent. Fíli shook his head; Kíli could bounce back from almost anything and still remain cheerful.

In a few minutes Thorin came back toting a pheasant and greeted his nephews. They roasted his conquest and ate it quickly before packing up their things and breaking camp. Thorin seemed a little too serious for this early in the morning but neither boy asked why he wasn't jovial. He didn't explain that he had led them too far, and that they were now in the dangerous section of the forest; he just started walking back the way they had come.

His mood brightened as the hours progressed and no tragedy had happened other than Kíli being chased by a squirrel that he had upset accidentally. His fears dissipated too soon and his wariness began to lax that he didn't even see the showy figure stalking them.

After a long days walk, they set up camp and relaxed in the growing dusk.

"I thought it was amusing when Kíli was chased by that squirrel, don't you, Uncle?" Fíli smirked; they had both teased Kíli good-naturedly about that during the day.

Thorin hid a smile; that had to have been one of most humorous moments he had ever witnessed. "Indeed, Fíli." Thorin cleared his throat to cover a chuckle, "I don't think I've ever seen Kíli run that fast before."

Fíli laughed hard and slapped his brother on the shoulder, "And his battle cry of retreat was quite impressive, was it not?"

Kíli rolled his eyes, knowing if he didn't stop their teasing now they might go on the whole evening, "I have never been very fond of squirrels."

His statement, of course brought on more laughter, and Kíli joined in this time. Before anyone had time to react, five wolves sprung out of the shadows and encircled them, snarling. The largest of the five had blonde lustrous fur and was at least double the height and size of the other four. Thorin and the boys stood quickly when they pounced and now stood stock still, wishing their weapons weren't still on the ground at their feet.

The wolves slowly circled them, sizing up the enemy that dared to intrude on their territory. Spittle gleamed off their long white fangs as they snarled, growling. Without warning, one of the smaller wolves leaped towards Thorin's throat. Thorin dodged and side stepped, then picked up his weapon from the ground during the distraction. Fíli and Kíli also took the opening to grab their weapons.

Thorin used the wolf's rebounding pounce to drive his dwarven sword deep into the creature's heart. The other wolves didn't wait any longer to attack; the quiet forest became a cacophony of yelps and growls mixed with the sound of striking metal and the twang of Kili's bow. The smell of blood was strong in the air as two of the wolves had been felled and three remained, the largest one being one of them.

Thorin and Fíli were both fighting separate wolves and Kíli was standing alone, wondering where the third one had gone. Then a flash of fur caught his vision, and he saw out of the corner of his eye the third wolf ready to strike at his unaware and preoccupied brother. Kíli shot off his arrow without thinking much, and mentally berated himself for not taking a lot of time to aim properly.

Fíli heard the arrow as it approached and felt the fletching gently brush his sleeve. He was glad his brother was a fair shot. The arrow hit the wolf mid-leap and imbedded deep into the creature's eye then into its brain. It fell dead behind Fíli and he twirled to look at his brother and nod in thanks. Kíli smiled a little when another flash of fur caught his eye, the wolf that had been caught up with Thorin was now charging him. He felt for arrows in his quiver but they were all spent. His furry bringer of death closed in upon him and he could do nothing about it except face it with the small amount of courage he had.

Fíli had seen the wolf coming before Kíli had, and ran to put himself between his brother and danger. He slammed into the wolf before it reached defenseless Kíli and made it stagger a few paces to the side. It growled menacingly and leapt at Fíli who had his blade ready. It barely knew what was happening as Fíli clumsily slashed his blade across it's throat.

Kíli watched in awe and horror as his brother came to the rescue and killed the large blonde wolf with a lucky strike. The force of the wolf's leap propelled the body on top of Fíli, pinning him, but the wolf was dead. Thorin and Kíli rushed to Fíli's side and helped lift the wolf corpse off of him, now that all the creatures had died, the second to last one being killed by Thorin just seconds before Fíli rushed to help his brother.

Fíli stood and panted, staring wide eyed at the battle scene, blood was smeared over the ground, and covered his blade with a dark red splotch. Kíli clutched at his brother in thanks and in the realization that they all could have died right then. They didn't speak for a long while as they took in the events that had just happened.

Finally Kíli spoke, "You saved me!"

Fíli smiled a little and patted his brother's shoulder, "And you saved mine."

"We saved each other." Kíli persisted, "That's what brother's do, right? Look out for each other and watch their backs?"

Fíli nodded, getting his breath, "That's right, little brother."

Thorin placed a firm hand on both of their shoulders, looking them in the eye "Both of you showed exceptional courage, I am very proud of you both." He then pointed at the blonde wolf, "That, Fíli, would be a pelt to keep as a trophy."

Fíli nodded, still trying to grasp what had happened, then turned to Kíli, "Brother, you were brave, that is an honorable quality."

Kíli grinned shyly, "And so were you brother." He paused, then added cheekily, "At least it wasn't a squirrel, or else I wouldn't have had any courage at all."

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**There it is! I hope you all enjoyed it! Suggestions for chapters are always welcome and I would love to hear from you! Thank you, and please review! **


	22. Chapter 22

**For those of you who wished for more Fíli, you have your wish. This is a WHOLE chapter about him; I hope it's not too boring. (Shout outs to: Nalbal, T4goodro, The Bedroom Writer, 1monster2, cloudlake, PinguSuperSquee, GregsMadHatter, soytejana, and JohnGilbertVampirehunter!) Thank you all for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting my story, it means so much to me! I hope this chapter makes you smile!**

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Chapter Twenty-two: A day to one's self

"Are you sure you'll be all right be yourself?" Dís asked her eldest son as she paused in the doorway with an impatient and grumpy Kíli. He and Dís were going shopping, neither one of the boys cared for shopping, but Kíli had been growing so rapidly that new clothes were in order. Needless to say, when Dís invited him to come along, Fíli politely refused.

Fíli nodded, hoping it looked convincing enough as to let his Mother let him stay home. "Yes, Mum, I'll be all right." He smiled as he looked at his sulking younger brother and added, "Kíli, don't give Mum too much trouble."

Kíli frowned and didn't reply, he really didn't like going to the market at all, even if they were shopping for him. He huffed, wanting to leave so they could come back sooner, and the fact that Fíli had deserted him in his time of need didn't help improve his attitude.

Dís nodded distractedly, looked down at her youngest son and sighed; this afternoon would be a trial of her patience. "We'll be off then. Goodbye, dear, we'll be back before your Uncle comes home from the forge. If you decide to change your mind, we'll be in and around the market."

Fíli nodded, smiling, and watched his mother and brother walk down the lane. He faintly heard his mother scolding Kíli about his behavior when he gently shut the door and formulated a plan in his mind for the day. His mother could be gone from the house all day, or a few hours so he had to do the things on his mental list in top priority.

First, he wanted to practice his sword training awhile; second, he had to study some ancient writings Balin had told him to do yesterday; third, he wanted to pick up Kili's things in their room when he was gone; fourth, he wanted to relax in the peace and quiet and enjoy an afternoon to himself.

It was early morning, and he wanted to get his training done before he did anything else. He whistled a tune as he grabbed his twin swords and made his way to the training room. Kíli spent much more time in here than he did, partly because his younger brother was obsessed with archery and could spend hours upon hours practicing alone. Fíli on the other hand, spent most of his time in here with Dwalin, since swordplay was a sport best suited for two or more. He made today an exception since Dwalin had urgent business and couldn't train with him today, and decided it might be fun by himself.

Fíli wasn't a solitary person, even though he appeared so, he liked being around his family or at least knowing they were in the same building he was in. Kíli accused him of being too quiet, but that was the way he was. He wasn't very talkative, he hated being the center of attention, and wasn't one for mingling with other dwarflings. Kíli seemed to have gotten all the traits he lacked, with the addition of recklessness and abundant cheerfulness on good days. Today not being one of the good days.

Dís said their totally opposite personalities balanced each other out and made them a stronger team, less likely to bend under the weight of the world if they stuck together. That was what Fíli planned on doing the rest of his life, sticking with his little brother throughout his life even if they died in battle or lived long fruitful lives with children and grandchildren.

Fíli mentally chided himself on not focusing on what he was doing and repeated the sword sequence until he was satisfied he was doing it right. Dwalin drilled into his mind that one thrust of the blade could be the life or death of him. He strived to practice as perfectly as he could, he was much more useful living than dead anyway.

Only when he was drenched in sweat and felt like his muscles could not hold his sword up anymore did he stop. He went back to his room and put his swords away before quickly wiping his face and torso with a cold, wet cloth and changing into a clean set of clothes. As soon as he was presentable once again, with his golden hair combed and put in place, he sat at the kitchen table and poured over his studies.

Dwarven history wasn't very interesting until it got to the part about Erebor, but that was considered a recent event and apparently wasn't ancient enough to add into the records. Fíli recited the names of Dwarf-kings until he could practically say them backwards and forwards then shut the thick volume and put it away.

So far his day to himself was going well, and he was enjoying getting things done. He quickly picked up Kíli's possessions that were scattered all over the floor and put them roughly in the correct place. Fíli finished in less than half an hour, and with his mental to-do list almost completed, he grabbed a book that he had started reading and made his way to the front room.

He picked an especially comfortable chair, bathed in the light of midmorning and opened the book to where he last left off. The tale was about fictional heroes, who practiced the traits of honor, loyalty, forgiveness, courage, and many other admirable virtues. He was engrossed in the stories of battles and forbidden love when he heard a knock on the front door. Fíli looked out the window; it was not yet noon so his mother and Kíli wouldn't be back yet.

He suspiciously looked out the window that had a view of the doorstep and to his surprise, there was a Man standing there. Fíli wondered what to do, leave the Man standing there or open the door and see what he wanted. His liking for Men had grown less and he suspicious of them, but there were some merchants who constantly traveled to and fro to sell their wares that were Men.

Quickly deciding what to do, Fíli grabbed his blades and put them in close reach, but out of sight in the entrance and opened the door slowly. The Man had almost decided no one was home, and was just turning around to leave when he opened the thick wooden door.

The Man was average height for his race, which was huge for Fíli, but he didn't seem intimidating. He looked quite young, and had curly hair, colored as black as a raven. The Man was quite thin, probably from his traveling, but he was smiling. His clothing was so differentiated in color and style that Fíli could only guess he was a traveler from all over Middle-earth. He wore scuffed brown boots that went half way up his calf, carefully patched crimson trousers, a once-white shirt, and a red vest and cravat. On his head he wore a brown painted cap with a red feather sticking out from the side. He also had a bulky pack at his feet, which he had taken off for a moment.

The Man spoke and bowed with a flourish "Good morning, young master dwarf! I am Arn, a traveling merchant from the realms of Men. Are your elders home? I would like to speak to them about buying my wares." Fíli noted that Arn had an easy smile and seemed to have ample respect for another's race.

He was torn about what to say, but kept his head held high and looked the Man straight in the eye. "My Mother and Uncle are preoccupied at the moment, and are too busy to speak with you, Sir."

Arn's smile lost a little of its luster at his words but he kept it up nonetheless. "Ah I see, is your father working then?"

Fíli felt his resolve melting at this innocent yet powerful question. He lowered his eyes a little and spoke softly, "My Father is dead."

The Man's smile completely faltered and he spoke soothingly, "I am sorry, young dwarf master." He knelt and put a hand on Fíli's shoulder, "I know what it is like to lose a loved one."

Fíli looked back up at the Man, his strength returning, not knowing exactly what to say. "I am sorry for your loss."

The Man took his hand off of him but remained kneeling, "So am I, but that was long ago. Can't let the past control your future, eh?" Fíli nodded as the Man stood and smiled down at him, "Thank you for talking with me, young master."

"Mister Arn," Fíli said quickly before the Man left, "today is market day, perhaps you can sell your things there. Travel on that road until you reach the center of town, you won't miss the commotion." Fíli pointed at the road that would lead the traveler to the market, the one that his mother and younger brother took earlier that morning.

Arn smiled and tipped his feathered hat at the dwarfling before embarking down the road. Fíli shut the front door with a somewhat better liking for Men. He grabbed some nourishment from the kitchen pantry before sitting down to read again.

Too involved with his book, he barely heard the door open when Dís and Kíli arrived home a few hours after noon. He reluctantly shut the volume and got up to greet them.

After Dís related all of the events at the market and the new outfits for Kíli she asked, "And how did your day go, my son?"

Fíli smiled a little, "It went well, Mum. I practiced with my swords, I studied the things Mister Balin required, and read until a merchant knocked on the door." He told her about the quick conversation he had with the traveler.

"I saw the Man you talked to," Kíli said sipping a glass of water, "he was dressed funny but he looked nice."

Dís smiled at her boys, "I'm glad you had a nice day, Fíli."

"I did have a nice time. It was peaceful, but I missed you running around like a crazed lunatic, Kíli." Fíli ruffled the dark and already untidy hair of his brother.

Kíli laughed in glee, "You compare me to a lunatic? That's a new description."

"Crazed lunatic can't leave out part of it." Fíli said rolling his eyes

"Whatever I am, you still love me."

"Yes, Kíli, whatever you are, wherever you are, I'll still love you, you lunatic."

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**I hope you had your Fíli bottle filled to the top with this chapter! If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions I would love to hear them. Please review and tell me how I'm doing, I'd appreciate it! I admit it, I squeal in delight and get extremely excited when my email shows reviews, favorites or follows for my story. Please keep me squealing and have fantabulous day!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Sorry it's been awhile since I updated, my well of inspiration ran completely dry for a few days. Today I captured the trickle that escaped and molded it into this chapter. Thank you all for sticking with me, and giving me such hope and lovely comments on my work! (Shout outs to: PinguSuperSquee, ilovevolleyball, GregsMadHatter, and Prusyah!) I hope you enjoy this next installment.**

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Chapter Twenty-three: Learning the trade

"Dís, you can't hold them back forever, you know that. They must learn responsibility sooner or later." Thorin said trying to make his sister see reason. The boys were still sleeping, which gave him time to talk to Dís alone, "Fíli must learn how to make a living fro himself. Kíli will follow in his brother's footsteps in a few years. You must understand that this will only help him in his future."

Dís sighed, "Yes, I know, brother. I just think Fíli is a little young. He already has his studies and his training to deal with. Spending time at the forge with you every morning seems a little too much for him to handle."

Thorin frowned a little, "I've already worked it out with Balin and Dwalin. Kíli is now old enough to learn the art of swords; Dwalin can come in the morning and train with him while Fíli and I are away. They can study with Balin in the afternoon." He paused, "Fíli can train by himself, he doesn't need someone to watch over him every moment. Dwalin can stop by an evening a week and make sure he's doing everything right."

"That sounds… suitable." Dís said, rubbing her forehead with two fingers, "Since you have already worked it out, I suppose I must agree."

Thorin nodded grimly, even though his sister hated to admit it, her boys were growing up and it was time to treat them as such. "Don't worry, I'll make sure Fíli will only start with the basics at the forge. Trust me, Dís."

She looked up at him, "I do, brother. Thank you for working this all out. You've been such a blessing in my life, especially the past few years." She paused, "I don't think I thank you enough for all you do for us."

Thorin smiled compassionately, "You are a blessing as well, Dís. If I didn't have you or the boys to cheer me everyday, I'm not sure what I would do."

She smiled, "So, shall I tell Fíli or shall you?"

"I'll them both when they wake." Thorin said, "That may be while though, they could both sleep they day away if they had a mind to."

The next morning, Thorin and Fíli began to get ready to depart after breakfast. Dís and Kíli stood at the open door, and wished Fíli luck on his first day.

Kíli didn't even try to hide his smirk, he was glad not to be going to the forge. This was a time where he savored being second-born. "Farewell, brother. May you find strength to carry on, may you heed our Uncle's voice, and may you be wary of hot objects near your vicinity."

Fíli rolled his eyes; Kíli could be an eloquent speaker when he was teasing. He opened his mouth to say something, but his brother was not done speaking.

"Embrace this new responsibility in your life with open arms. Write this new chapter in your life's story with a quill fully filled with ink. Now go, Fíli and make us all proud to call you one of Durin's heirs!"

Fíli shook his head and chuckled, "What a speech brother! I must admit that was very eloquent. Mister Balin would be proud of you indeed, if you used that skill to speak during your lessons."

Kíli shrugged, "I save my best speeches for personal use."

Fíli smiled and bid them farewell before walking down the road behind Thorin. The whole town had not gotten up yet, as it was early morning, and the sunrise was something exceptional.

Dís smiled down at her youngest son and fixed a piece of his wispy hair. "My dear, you should get ready for Dwalin to arrive. Today is a memorable day for you as well."

Kíli nodded and stepped back so she could shut the door, "Yes, Mum." Then added under his breath, "I pity Fíli, the poor wretch."

Fíli felt nervous and excited at the same time as he made the trek to the forge with his Uncle. Today was going to be quite a day. He never pictured himself as a forge worker, but sons went into the trade of their father's. In his case, and many other's whose fathers died in battle, they learned the trade of the closest male family member. Thus, forge work, his Uncle Thorin's trade, was now to become his.

Fíli held back a laugh when he thought of his skinny, yet unassumingly strong brother slaving over a piece of white hot metal as he pounded it out. He could imagine himself as a forge worker, but Kíli? Not at all.

They reached the forge just as other's began to enter as well. Fíli looked around at the men who chose to do this everyday. They all seemed grim and resolute. He saw many had scars, fresh burn marks and calluses over their hands and forearms. Fíli also noted there were dwarves just a few years older than he. They looked just as capable as their elders and he hoped to be like them after several hard years.

Thorin waved Fíli over to his workspace, "Fíli come here."

Throughout the next few hours, Fíli ran around fetching things and leaning the ways of the forge. Thorin introduced him to a few of the dwarves there but mostly kept Fíli on his toes. As soon as it was noon, Fíli breathed a silent sigh of relief. He was hot and sweaty, and he had already burned himself once, minimally.

Thorin kept him at the forge until he had finished his assigned task, which took an extra fifteen minutes. Fíli thanked his Uncle, once Thorin had dismissed him, and made his way out the door.

He was looking more at his feet and reviewing the past few hours, rather than looking up and accidentally bumped into someone as he exited the forge. It was a young dwarf lass. She dropped the basket that she was carrying and Fíli knelt down to pick it up. Thankfully the contents didn't spill.

"I'm sorry, Miss." He hastily said, handing her the basket. He was acutely aware of how he must look after working in the forge for a couple hours.

"It's all right." She mumbled, holding the basket safely to her. She kept her head down and sidestepped around him to enter the forge.

Fíli watched her enter and shook his head, before walking to his house. He opened his front door a few minutes later and walked inside. Dís and Kíli were in the kitchen. Kíli looked haggard, but brightened when Fíli entered.

"How did it go?" Kíli asked smiling as Fíli sat across the table from him.

Fíli recounted the things he did and the people he saw to his mother and brother. They both listened intently and commended him when he finished his short tale.

"Sounds like you had a good time." Kíli stated as Dís got up to fetch them both a drink.

Fíli nodded and leaned back in his chair, "Now I must ask, Kíli, what happened to you? You look like you just trekked for two days in the forest."

Kíli groaned, "I don't know how you do it, brother. I thought learning the art of swords would be not as hard as I found out it was." He paused, "Needless to say I am not a natural. At all. Whirling your blade to and fro, keeping your feet moving, protecting yourself, dodging… I am tired just thinking about it."

Fíli laughed, "It takes practice. Just like archery. Nothing is learned over night, Kíli."

"I know, I'm just much more suited to a bow then to a sword or axe, but in a skirmish I can't totally depend on my arrows to keep me alive." He paused to blow at a piece of dark hair that fell in front of his eyes, "I don't think I can even move my arms, Fíli."

"You'll get there, Kíli, soon you'll be able to surpass my skills with the blade." Fíli said smiling at his brother and his antics.

Kíli shook his head grimly, "No, I never will. You and I are different. We both are strong where the other is weak. You will master the art of the sword, and I, the bow. Our differences make us who we are, Fíli. Together our strengths are a force to be reckoned with."

Fíli paused and considered his brother's words, "Indeed, brother. Another fine speech I might add."

Kíli laughed, his sober mood suddenly gone, "I know! I've been coming up with good speeches all day. I wish I could think of these things when Mister Balin asks me to say something."

"You'll get there, Kíli, we both will. Together."

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**And there is it, folks! I hope it wasn't too boring for you all. The next chapter is already whispering in my ear, promising to be a good one. Please review and tell me what you think of my work, or something you'd like to see in the coming chapters. Oh, by the way, that's not the last you'll see of that dwarf lass. I'll leaving you hanging there and say "Farewell till the next chapter!"**


	24. Chapter 24

**This chapter is for those of you who are romantics at heart. It's very subtle but I hope I wrote it out well. Thank you all for your support and kind and encouraging words! (Shout outs to: GregsMadHatter, PinguSuperSquee, Frodo's sister, and 1monster2!) Thank you for reading; I hope you enjoy it!**

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Chapter Twenty-four: Young love

When Fíli woke, he looked around at the dim daylight and decided it was too early to get up. When his brain was able to fully comprehend, it dawned on him that it was the first workday of the week. The weekend had passed quickly with relaxing hours and fun times with his younger brother but it was now a new week and time to start work once again.

He had only worked for a few hours at the forge for a week and already he felt at ease. The other dwarves that worked with his Uncle Thorin gave him tips and an encouraging word, and he was grateful for such camaraderie. Fíli hadn't seen the dwarf lass since he accidentally bumped into her. He thought a lot about her, probably much more than he should have.

With thoughts about her and the upcoming events of the day, Fíli sat up quickly and rubbed his eyes, coaxing them to open all the way. He silently got ready, hoping not to disturb his brother sleeping peacefully on the other side of the room. Kíli was wrapped up to his nose in bed sheets; he had gotten into the habit as a child and automatically made a cocoon when he slept.

Fíli smiled wistfully as he glanced at Kíli. His younger brother was no longer a tiny dwarfling and watching him begin to take responsibility and grow to his potential made Fíli's heart ache.

He wondered if Thorin was ever so sentimental towards his brother, Frerín, when they were dwarflings. He doubted it, but the thought made him wonder. As soon as he was ready, Fíli quietly crept out the door and closed it with a soft thud before walking to the kitchen.

Dís made their breakfasts the night before so she wouldn't have to wake up at such an early hour. Fíli thought it was ironic that while he was running around and completing tasks at the forge, Kíli and his mother would just be waking up. Such was the life.

Fíli met Thorin in the kitchen and ate a quick breakfast with little talk. Thorin was not the most amiable of people in the morning, and Fíli learned to keep his mouth shut until a decent hour in the morning.

Thorin grunted and motioned towards the door; Fíli nodded and followed his Uncle out the door. They began their walk to the forge in the quiet street; something about the silence of an early morning made everything seem eerie and peaceful at the same time.

Thorin and Fíli were the second people to get to the forge, one man was always early and no matter how early Thorin and he arrived, that dwarf was always there. With a mumbled greeting to one another, they got to work.

Coming to the forge was routine but Fíli didn't have a routine at all when it came to what tasks he preformed. He could be lectured about the strengths and weaknesses of different metals, then be called to fetch a tool before helping package completed orders.

Fíli's hours that day were no less hectic and he obligingly ran around like a fool. He wondered how Kili's sword training was going with Dwalin. Kíli seemed not to like it as much as archery but it was an important skill to learn.

With a final effort, Fíli finished up his tasks and with Thorin's permission, left the forge. He brushed back some stray hairs from his forehead and spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. When he turned, he spied the dwarf lass that he had been thinking about over the last week.

He resolved in his mind not to appear too obnoxious as he walked up beside her and said, "Hello, Miss."

She halted her progress and looked up, "Oh, hello."

Fíli noted that she had auburn hair, braided into one long strand running down her back, and light green eyes that shone with an inner radiance. She had a fair complexion and a few freckles covered her nose and cheeks. Fíli wondered why he had never noted the detail before.

He paused, wondering what to say but the words flowed out before he had time to think them over, "I am truly sorry that I ran into you the other day. I hope I didn't cause damage to your belongings you were carrying."

She smiled a little, "No, you didn't. It was my father's lunch. I take it to him usually every day at the forge. I had to help my mother with a task so my younger sister took over for the past week, but she is always late. I resumed my duty today." She glanced at the forge door, "I think my father will be appreciative for a punctual meal."

Fíli also noted she held the same basket that he had the week before. He fought of he urge to clear his throat. "Ah, I see."

She nodded and paused, "Are you new to the forge work? I don't recall seeing you there before."

Fíli nodded, "Yes, my Uncle Thorin decided it was time for me to start learning responsibility."

The lass opened her eyes wide in shock, "Thorin Oakenshield? Then you must be his nephew, Fíli." She executed a shallow curtsey.

Fíli felt his face flush for a moment, "I am, but please don't curtsey. I am no one of consequence right now."

She shrugged, "That's not true. You will achieve great things."

After an awkward pause that lasted several long seconds, she glanced at the forge door. "If you will please excuse me, my father awaits his meal."

Fíli stepped aside, "Of course, I didn't intend to deter you."

She smiled broadly and shook her head, "No, it's been nice meeting you, Fíli. Perhaps we shall talk another day." The lass walked towards the door but paused and turned around, adding, "My name is Mira by the way."

Fíli nodded, smiling, watching her slip inside the forge door. He started walking home, reviewing the conversation with Mira in his mind. For some reason he couldn't shake the grin that had taken over his features.

In a few minutes, he reached home and found Kíli melting into a puddle of sweat and exhaustion on a chair. Kíli looked up when Fíli entered and smiled.

"Today, not only can I not move my arms, I can't even feel them." Kíli said teasingly, nodding to the purple and black bruises starting to form on his forearms and biceps.

Fíli frowned, "I'm guessing you didn't see one of Mister Dwalin's attacks coming."

Kíli nodded, "Indeed. He feinted to the left then switched and struck on the right or the opposite way, many times. Fíli, I think I will never learn the art of the blade." He paused and looked Fíli over with a discerning eye, "What happened?"

Fíli shrugged, "What do you mean? Nothing happened, I'm perfectly fine."

Kíli shook his head, "No. You were grinning like an idiot when you walked in and you seem to be floating in a cloud of happiness." He paused and raised a suspicious eyebrow, "Is it a girl?"

Fíli shrugged, "You know that lass that I ran into last week? I talked with her again today. That's all."

"Tell me what she said, brother." Kíli said smiling wryly.

Fíli recounted the brief conversation he had with Mira. Kíli didn't interrupt until the tale was over.

"So it is a girl." Kíli stated, "Mira to be exact. And she had long auburn hair. She must be very pretty to catch your eye, brother."

Fíli frowned, "Why do you say that?"

"Because I've never seen you glance sideways at a girl. Ever. She must be special if you noticed her." Kíli grinned cheekily and teasingly shoved his brother.

"It's hard not to notice when you run into someone, Kíli." Fíli replied, trying to keep his voice even toned.

"Sure, brother, sure." Kíli interlocked his hands behind his head, "Young love can be such a complicated thing."

"You sound like Mum, and I am not in love." Fíli insisted.

Kíli shrugged and grinned broadly. "You can try to deny it, but I will always know the truth. When you marry her and have dwarflings of your own, you will have to admit that your younger brother is always right."

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**What do you think? Too boring? Needs more action and violence in the coming chapters? Please review and tell me what you thought of it, I would be very appreciative! I hope my story is still able to make you smile. **


	25. Chapter 25

**This chapter gave me a little bit of trouble but in the end I think it was worth it. I want to say a very humble and grateful thank you to all my readers who think my story is worth taking time enough to read. (Shout outs to: PinguSuperSquee, ilovevolleyball, Erika-Barnard, Thenightsdeath, GregsMadHatter, dracocrazy322, DmgIsError, and Ms, Skywalker1005!) **

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Chapter Twenty-five: Goblins

"Fíli, what's going on?" Kíli asked, nervously looking out the window. Fíli had just arrived from the forge and they had been talking, but the sound of a bell echoed through the streets and interrupted their conversation. As they listened in silence, the tolling of the bell abruptly stopped. Kíli and Fíli wordlessly looked at each other and waited. Long minutes passed in what seemed to be a threatening silence. Suddenly, the bell began to toll again at a faster pace.

Fíli glanced out the window at the deserted streets then pulled Kíli back from the window and said, "That's odd. It almost sounds…"

"Frantic." Kíli nodded solemnly, "And Foreboding. I wonder what's going on."

Dís appeared at the door, breathless and walked hurriedly over to the window. She looked around for a few seconds then drew the curtain, cutting off the light and leaving them in a semi-dark room.

Kili's eyes soon adjusted to the dim light and he had a chance to study his mother's worried expression. Dís showed many emotions but terror was a new one and Kíli began to feel fear rising up in him. "Mum? What's going on?"

Dís tried her best to smile but it seemed more like a grimace, "Kíli, Fíli, my dears, let's step away from the windows." She gently led them away from the windows and into the hall. "Kíli, that is a warning bell. It is rung only in times of dire circumstance. I can only imagine what has happened. I fear for your Uncle and the others that were away from their homes when this catastrophe happened, whatever it is."

Fíli and Kíli had only a moment to ponder her words before they heard the front door open and shut violently. Thorin rounded the corner and spotted them. He held a sword in his hand; the blade was stained black.

"Goblin attack." Thorin said, bluntly answering Dís' unspoken question. "They surprised us all, even the sentries. I made my way here first to make sure you were all right." Thorin paused for breath and wiped his unkempt hair out of his eyes, "I can't stay here; I must help others who were caught unawares."

The door opened again and shut quickly, a few dwarf women and two dwarf men with children much younger than Kíli and Fíli came into sight. Fíli recognized a few of the women as Dís' friends.

One of the men spoke up when they saw them, "Our houses were taken over by Goblins. We didn't know where to go to keep our wives and dwarflings safe other then here."

Dís nodded, "You will be safe here. We must hurry to the underground passage. Goblins will be here in a few minutes."

Fíli and Kíli exchanged glanced when their mother mentioned an underground passage but they kept their mouths shut. This wasn't the time for needless questions.

The dwarves started walking and Dís called after them, "It's in the weapon training room, I'll be there in just a moment." she turned back to Thorin.

"Those men have injuries that prohibit them from joining the others in combat, but if a goblin finds the passage they will have no problem protecting you." Thorin said, nodding in the direction of them now empty hallway.

Dís nodded and blinked back the tears starting to form in her eyes, "Be safe brother. Please."

Thorin put a hand on his sister's shoulder, "I will, Dís, I promise."

"What about us?" Kíli asked tapping his fingers impatiently.

Thorin looked at his youngest nephew, "You'll stay in the passage with the others."

Kíli shook his head "Uncle, goblins are ravaging the town, people are in need of help. Fíli and I are capable of staying alive and helping overcome these vile creatures. I can't sit in safely when I know others are dying when I could have saved them. Please, Uncle, let Fíli and I assist you. There's not much time."

Thorin and Dís exchanged glances. She nodded, although the tears that she desperately tried to keep at bay now overflowed. Thorin looked at them, "I've loathed the thought of the day when you two would be old enough to fight in a real battle. Now I see that that day has come. Try to stay with each other, even if you get separated from me. Grab your weapons. Now."

Fíli and Kíli didn't even bother to nod before doing as they were told. They quickly returned to Thorin and Dís, weapons in hand. Dís kissed both of her son's foreheads and tried not to appear so frightened.

"Stay together, my dears. Return safely." Dís said as more tears fell from her eyes and painted her cheeks with glistening lines, "Now go, the goblins will be here any moment and I must make sure the others are safe."

Thorin nodded and without another word, walked towards door. Fíli and Kíli followed him but glanced back at Dís as she called, "I love you." Before turning and making her way to where the others had gone.

They exited the house and stepped onto the street. The smell of smoke was in the air and Fíli heard the clash of weapons and the occasional scream. Thorin started running from their house towards the market square, and the lads followed. Kíli had notched an arrow on his bowstring and kept it ready just in case a goblin surprised them. He also wore a sword at his side, although he would only use that at a last resort when his arrows were spent.

Fíli had two blades, one in each hand, and multiple knives strapped to his arms and legs. The sounds of the battle grew more intense as they drew nearer, and when they rounded a corner Kíli saw exactly what a battle was.

There were bodies of dwarves and goblins strewn across the square. Red blood mixed with black on the cobblestones and made running on it a hazard. Several houses were on fire and the sound of metal hitting metal filled Fíli and Kíli's ears. Goblins and dwarf men were struggling to overcome the other. Thorin yelled a dwarvish curse and entered the fray without hesitation.

Fíli only paused half a second before stabbing the nearest goblin through the heart with his blade. Black blood squirted out of the wound when he pulled out his sword. The goblin fell at Fíli's feet, dead, and Fíli moved on to the next goblin. Kíli was not directly in the fray but killed several goblins nonetheless with his arrows.

After several grueling minutes the pack of goblins were completely overcome, and they had a small respite as they ran to the next location where they should help out. As Fíli fought, Kíli shot the goblins behind his brother and others who weren't expecting an enemy to come up behind them.

Minutes seemed to pass by slowly, and yet more goblins kept pouring onto the streets to be slaughtered. Kíli smiled grimly as he and Fíli ran at the back of group, looking for more goblins.

"This is fun, eh, brother?" he asked, breathless

Fíli nodded smiling a little, "Oh, aye, brother. I haven't had this much fun in ages."

Kíli smiled genuinely for a split second before becoming straight faced again. A scream echoed from a side alley and Fíli saw briefly the sight of Mira and one of her younger sisters slung over the shoulder of a goblin.

Fíli turned around, heading towards the alley, shouting, "Mira!"

Kíli glanced back just in time to see Fíli run down the alley. He stopped and glanced for just a moment at Thorin continuing to run with the others, before changing his direction and following Fíli.

"Not only is young love blind, it also doesn't care about personal safety." Kíli mumbled before rounding the corner to the alley

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**And there I shall leave you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that it was enough action for you. The next part should be just as exciting! Please tell me how I did on this chapter; I'd love to hear your comments. Thank you very much for reading, and I'll see you at the next chapter!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Sorry for the long break in between the last chapter and this one. Life has been a little crazy and I'm sure you all know how that goes. I hope that you enjoy this next chapter and that it wasn't too disjointed from the other one. (Shout outs to: Aranel Mereneth, GregsMadHatter, PinguSuperSquee, C.H.W.13, 1monster2, htstff57, and several Guests!) What would I do without you, my lovely and amazing readers? Thank you so much for devoting your time to my story!**

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Chapter Twenty-six: A rescue commenced

Kíli was running after his brother down the alleyway. Fíli had shouted Mira's name a couple times and continued to follow the goblin that dared to mess with his lady friend. Kíli was trying to keep up as best he could and cursed his ill fate and the foolishness of his brother.

The alley was dark and ominous, and several objects blocked their progress, but nothing could stand in the way. Still, the goblin stayed one step ahead of him, the two girls still in his grasp. There was an occasional shriek or scream from one of the girls, which spurred the brothers on when they felt like they could go on no longer.

Kíli was beginning to feel exhausted; the battle rush he had gotten earlier was wearing off. "Fíli let us stop a moment and think about this. What if we run into a larger goblin pack while trying to save them? We need someone to help us."

Fíli didn't even hesitate; he just kept going and said over his shoulder, "No, if we left and got help it might be too late to save Mira and her sister. We've got to try, Kíli, whatever may happen."

Kíli was struck with two thoughts after his brother's words. The first, that Fíli was a selfless being and that he was lucky to have such a person as a brother. The second, that even Fíli needed to think once and while to make sure the cost wasn't too high a price to pay for the safety of a dwarf maiden. Whatever Kíli might have said wouldn't have changed Fíli's iron determination, and he knew this, so he kept quiet and hoped everything would go well.

They ran through the interconnecting alleyways and across narrow streets till it seemed at last they were catching up. Their hopes were dashed when they came to an intersection of four roads, and knew not which one the goblin traveled down.

Fíli finally stopped and looked down each road for signs of a goblin's passing but his frustration at the hold up made his focus scattered.

"I am not sure which way they went, Kíli." Fíli said after half a minute, "I do not want to split up with you and search for them and yet I can think of no other way."

"I wouldn't want to that either." Kíli said, tapping his bow with impatience as he glanced down each option. Something caught his eye and he ran several paces on the road to the left. Kíli picked up a small red ribbon that landed in a puddle; he shook it off and showed it to Fíli. "Hers I'm guessing?"

Fíli nodded once, and helped his brother stand before starting to run down the narrow side street.

Kíli unconsciously pocketed the ribbon and notched an arrow to his bowstring. "Whatever her faults, Mira has a head for dangerous circumstances, I've got to give her credit for that."

Fíli grinned a little, "I am thankful that I had my sharp-eyed brother so her clue wasn't lost on me."

The street began to grow wider as they continued on their course, and they soon heard the footfalls of the goblin ahead of them. Suddenly the footfalls stopped abruptly and Fíli and Kíli slowed to round a sharp corner cautiously.

When they rounded the corner, the goblin stood in a small, enclosed courtyard surrounded by buildings on all sides the only way in or out was the street they had just traveled. The one-way exit could prove their downfall or their triumph.

Mira and her sister were huddled on the ground near the goblin, and they looked up at the brother's in fear as they entered the courtyard slowly.

Kíli got a better look at the goblin, now that it was stopped and standing to full height. It was nearly as tall as a Man and taller than any other enemy they had encountered that day. Its shoulder width was larger than an average Man's and rippled with well-toned muscles. The goblin's arms and face were covered in minor but telltale scars, and it wielded a curved and jagged two-handed sword. It wasn't the attire or weapon that made the area around this goblin foreboding; it was something that neither dwarf lad could place.

Kíli cleared his throat, keeping an eye on the goblin, "You just had to go after this one, brother?"

Fíli nodded and walked a few more steps towards the goblin that still stood perfectly still, blade drawn. "How many arrows do you have left, Kíli?"

Kíli slowly reached up and felt the shafts of two arrows in his quiver, and remembered the one on his bowstring. "Three. It'll have to do, I mean, it shouldn't be too hard to kill him. There's only one of him and two of us."

Fíli shrugged, "Yes, but he has quite the advantage in stature."

"He doesn't stand a chance. I've told you before, we're a force to be reckoned with."

That was all Kíli could say before the goblin lunged at them with surprising speed. The brother's sidestepped in different directions away from the dangerous blade that whizzed by their heads and regrouped again.

The goblin turned and faced the brothers again, wrath blazing in his eyes at their dodge. Kíli quickly brought his bow up and shot an arrow in the direction of the goblin's heart. The arrow pierced the flesh with a resounding smack but the goblin hardly flinched.

Kíli stared in horror as the creature broke off the arrow near his flesh and advanced once again upon them, black blood spilling down his chest. They dodged another swing and Fíli managed to make a small slice on the goblin's back.

Kíli notched another arrow to his bowstring but didn't draw, "We need a new battle plan, commander."

Fíli nodded, "I know. I'll distract him and lead him off, you come up behind and try to immobilize him with a well placed arrow."

Kíli nodded and they split up. Fíli drew off the goblin by engaging him in combat with his duel blades and maneuvering their fight away from Kíli. When the opportune moment arose, Kíli shot an arrow to the back of the goblin's leg, hitting the tendon that was at the back of the knee.

The goblin fell to one knee but continued to advance upon Fíli in their sword combat. Kíli frowned and ran forward, drawing back his last arrow but waited for a perfect moment to arrive.

The goblin and Fíli's blades were more of streaking and blurry lines than blades of steel. Metal whirled, blows parried, moves countered, and Fíli wondered why he had willingly wanted to fight this monster and its skill. He managed to score a few hits on the goblin's body but nothing fatal or hinderingly in the least.

One of Fíli's swords was knocked out of his hand and he backed up a few paces to cover himself. His back was to a wall and he had no place to run, his only option was to fight. Kíli saw the trouble his brother had gotten into but he only had one arrow left, and his undeveloped skill at the blade. He could only stand by and watch as Fíli's last sword was knocked out of hand and the goblin raised his cruel blade to strike down his brother.

At the last moment Fíli's eyes met his brother's for a split second then ducked and ran underneath the goblin's legs. The goblin yelled in frustration and made a tight turn, his blade descending to Fíli's unprotected back. Kíli shot his remaining arrow, aimed for the goblin's eye just as Fíli dove and reached for one of his blades.

Fíli and the goblin fell into a jumbled heap, and Kíli watched in terror, as both bodies were unmoving. Kíli cast aside his bow with a scream of agony and ran over to them and rolled the dead goblin over with much difficulty. Fíli's blade was sticking out of its abdomen and he was relieved to see his brother alive and gasping for air.

"Thanks, brother." Fíli said as he stood and clutched his side, "He knocked the air out of me and his weight wouldn't let me breathe."

He smiled broadly and put a hand on Fíli's shoulder, "No problem, I'm glad you are all right."

They turned to see if the lasses were all right and found the girls staring at them in shock. Fíli made his way over, still trying to find his breath, and stood in front of them.

"Are you two all right?" he asked.

Mira nodded as a lone tear raced down her cheek, "We're both fine, thanks to you, Fíli. I wasn't sure what I was going to, but then you two came."

Kíli had retrieved his bow and slung it across his back before standing beside his brother. "You two need to get to safety, it's not safe out here."

Mira nodded and helped her sister stand. "I'm guessing you are Kíli, Fíli has spoken much about you."

Kíli raised an eyebrow at his brother but said, "Yes, the one and only. You must be Mira."

She nodded and gestured to her sister, "This is Fiona, my younger sister, she sprained her ankle and I'm not sure if she can walk on it."

Kíli exchanged a glance with Fíli, they needed to get the lasses to safety then rejoin their uncle, and a sprained ankle would hinder their urgency.

"If you would allow me, Miss Fiona, to carry you." Kíli said, "I don't wish to keep you two ladies out in this mess any longer."

Fiona glanced at Mira and nodded. "Yes, thank you."

Kíli picked her up and was thankful the lass was of a slight build. "Our mother has a tunnel under the house that is safe. We could take you there."

Fíli nodded, "Aye, you could be looked after and have your injuries tended to."

Mira nodded, "Yes, please take us there. Thank you both for your courage." She put a hand on Fíli's shoulder and he looked at her oddly for a moment before leading the way to their house. Kíli made a mental note: If you wanted to impress a young lady, save her life.

The battle seemed far off now, and the streets deserted as they walked through them and Fíli hoped Thorin was doing well in his skirmishes, he just hoped they weren't too late to assist the people that needed it.

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**I feel devious. I fully intended to wrap up the battle in this chapter but it went longer than expected, so you'll have to wait till the next one to see how it resolves. Thank you all so much, again, for reading! Please, if you have any comments or suggestions I would love to hear them. Till next chapter then, cheers! **


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